TILMCOM-The Indigenous Literacy Manufacturing Company

07/15/2026

https://youtu.be/t9vzuprZvtg?si=SocirC4Ib2J9aUzb AS A KODEN: TALKING STORY; WHO IS YOUR NAME
Opening Cinematic Prologue

I'm pleased to share this private preview of the opening cinematic prologue for my original dramatic feature screenplay. This seven-minute introduction explores Indigenous identity, memory, spirituality, surveillance, and the search for belonging through a blend of live-action cinematography, documentary, and symbolic imagery.

I welcome thoughtful comments and constructive feedback as the project continues toward production.

This preview is dedicated to the memory of Diane Fehr, whose friendship and contributions to this production remain deeply appreciated.

AS A KODEN: TALKING STORY; WHO IS YOUR NAMEOpening Cinematic Prolo...

07/14/2026

Good Morning, Holy Father

Thank You for this day.

Thank You for opening my eyes once again, for the breath You place within me, and for the heart You have given me to feel, to love, to forgive, and to create.

As I raise my hands toward You this morning, I thank You for the gift of life and for allowing me another day to walk the path You have placed before me. Guide my thoughts so that I may see what is good, speak what is true, and express through my work the gifts You have entrusted to me.

Thank You for the beauty of this world, for Mother Earth beneath our feet, and for the people who dedicate their lives to serving others.

Bless the police officers, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, nurses, caregivers, social workers, military personnel, and all those who quietly protect, heal, comfort, and stand beside others during life's most difficult moments. Bless those who visit the sick, comfort the lonely, care for the elderly, and reach out to those who are incarcerated. May they continue to find strength and purpose in the work they do for humanity.

Please continue to watch over my son Dorian, Suzanne, and my beautiful granddaughter. Bless my twin brother Ronald, my sisters, and my older brother. Heal his shoulder, Holy Father... and if he gets back on the ice, maybe he'll still have a pretty good shoulder check.

Bless every family throughout the world that strives to live with kindness, humility, courage, honesty, and gratitude. Help us become lights for one another in a world that too often forgets the power of compassion.

Good morning, everyone.

Today's images continue my research for my feature film,

As A Koden: Talking Story; Who Is Your Name?

Some of these images reach back nearly forty years to my days studying visual art and film production at Simon Fraser University. They include the original schematic drawings for the sculpture I later built for my student film Crossings, together with more recent research that continues to shape the screenplay today.

Looking back, I realize I was searching for something I could not yet name.

The sculpture explored perspective, geometry, depth, memory, and the human body. At the time, I understood it largely through the Western traditions I had been studying—ideas about perspective, composition, sculpture, and film. Years later, after learning more about my own family's history and spending decades listening to Elders, artists, scholars, and community members, I began seeing those same works through a different lens.

Today I find myself asking a different question.

What happens when the rectangular frame of the camera is no longer simply a window looking outward, but becomes a place where different worldviews meet?

How do Indigenous ways of knowing, relationship, and responsibility reshape the stories we tell within that frame?

These questions continue to guide my work every day.

The books shown in today's images remind me that learning is never finished. Faith, history, Indigenous knowledge, philosophy, cinema, literature, and lived experience are not separate paths. They are conversations that continue throughout a lifetime.

Even a document that was once sent to me in 1999 has found a new purpose—not as history repeated, but as a fictional element reimagined for one of the characters in the screenplay. Storytelling allows us to transform experience into reflection rather than simply recreate events.

As artists, we continue asking questions.

As people of faith, we continue searching for wisdom.

As human beings, we continue learning how to love one another a little better each day.

Above all, we must never forget our life-givers.

Without our mothers...

Without the Holy Father and Creator above...

Without Mother Earth beneath our feet...

None of us would be here.

May our words bring understanding.

May our work serve others.

May our hearts remain open to learning.

God bless each and every one of you.

Have courage.

Be kind.

Walk gently.

Hai Hai.

— Donald Morin

Image acknowledgements

Original archival images, artwork, personal documents, production materials, and research photographs © Donald Morin.

Additional image restoration and compositing assistance provided using Adobe Firefly. AI-assisted edits were used to clean or enhance selected reference images while preserving the original historical materials wherever possible.

07/05/2026

Good Morning, Holy Father

Thank You for this day. Forgive me for my sins. There have been many over the years, yet each time I fall, I rise again, trusting in Your mercy, Your love, and Your forgiveness.

Please watch over all the good people of this world—especially the children, those who keep the faith, and those who face each day with humility, compassion, and respect for You, our Father in Heaven.

Thank You for those who care for the less fortunate, who comfort the sick in hospitals, who visit those who are incarcerated, and all who strive to live according to Your teachings.

Please protect our first responders—our police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and all who place themselves in harm's way to protect others. Watch over our members of the military as well. Though violence is never our desire, we know this world is fragile, and the human tongue can be quick to anger and division. Grant them wisdom, courage, and compassion in all they do.

Protect our children, our families, and all who seek You, whether they worship in church or are still finding their way toward faith. I, too, am still learning each day.

Please watch over my son and his family, my brother as he continues his work in the law, serving others with integrity, and his friends, including Lionel, and all who dedicate themselves to helping those who are lost, confused, or struggling through difficult times.

Bless my friends, colleagues, and all who work to protect and care for their families and communities. Watch over my siblings—Diane, Donna, and Douglas—and all of their children. I pray especially that Douglas's shoulder heals quickly and completely.

Thank You, Father, for the gift of another day.

Amen.

Good Morning, Everyone

I hope you are all doing well.

Please be gentle with yourself. Be kind. Have courage.

Every day is a blessing. Each morning I wake up and thank the Creator for another opportunity to learn, to serve, to create, and to walk a little farther along the good road.

This body has endured much throughout my life, yet I continue to do my best to stay on that good road. Sometimes I stumble over the rocks. Sometimes I trip over the fallen logs. Sometimes, by God's grace, I find the strength to step over them and keep moving forward.

I also want to thank everyone who has listened to my music over the years and visited my N1M artist page. Seeing over 14 million profile views is both humbling and deeply appreciated. Thank you for your encouragement, your friendship, and your support.

May God bless each of you and your families.

The Story Behind "Write On Our Hearts Today"

Since "Write On Our Hearts Today" is currently sitting at #1, I thought I would share a little of the story behind the song.

I wrote it in 1999, just before leaving on the Métis Sauvage European Tour. By coincidence, I departed on June 6, the same day I had graduated from Simon Fraser University. I remember one of my professors saying that after graduation, "You're still a student artist for ten years." Looking back, that European tour truly marked the beginning of my journey as a full-time filmmaker, musician, and performer.

Before leaving for Europe, I visited my dear friend, filmmaker Lyle Thompson. Lyle was a gifted independent filmmaker and a true pioneer. He created the Guyu series, in which I had the privilege of playing the lead role. We travelled throughout British Columbia filming on Hi-8 video, telling Indigenous stories long before digital filmmaking became common. Lyle also devoted himself to projects that explored Métis history, including work connected with Métis leader Jim Brady.

When I visited Lyle at St. Paul's Hospital after he had suffered a stroke, he struggled to speak. The only word he could repeat was:

"Write... write... write..."

That moment has stayed with me ever since.

I left the hospital deeply moved. Shortly afterward, I wrote "Write On Our Hearts Today."

For me, the title also reflects the biblical teaching that God writes His truth upon our hearts—not merely on stone or paper, but within our lives through faith, love, compassion, and forgiveness.

The version many of you are hearing today is a live performance from the Truth and Reconciliation Talent Night in March 2014. That performance remains one of the most meaningful versions of the song for me.

Thank you again to everyone who continues to listen, share my music, and support my artistic journey. Your kindness and encouragement have meant more than words can express.

God bless you all.

Be kind.
Have courage.
Walk gently.
Every day is a blessing.

07/03/2026

Done! Thank you Holy Creator Above!

07/02/2026

Today's Gift: From Hairdresser to Storyteller

Good Morning, Great Creator

Thank You for this new day.

Thank You for allowing me to travel the journey from hairdresser to storyteller. It is in Your glory that I share these words today.

Miigwech.

Thank You for the breath You have given us, for the opportunity to learn, to work, and to continue finding healing for ourselves and for one another in this fragile world.

Thank You for the gifts, the challenges, and the tools You place before us.

Thank You for watching over us and protecting us from evil.

Please bless my family, my son Dorian and his family, my friends, my community, and everyone walking their own path today.

May we meet this day with kindness, courage, patience, humility, gratitude, and love.

May we never forget that every day is another opportunity to learn, to help another person, and to become better human beings.

**Amen.**

---

# # # Good morning, everyone.

I hope you are all doing well today.

The sun is shining, so remember to bring some water, perhaps a light jacket if the weather changes, and maybe a snack for your journey. We never know what the Creator has planned for us. Every day brings joy, challenges, opportunities to learn, and opportunities to help someone else.

Over the past several days I have been completing my application for the position of **Artistic Director at Native Earth Performing Arts**. Whatever the outcome may be, the process has already given me something even more valuable. It has reminded me of the many people who have helped shape my life—not only as an artist, but as a human being.

**None of us reaches this point alone.**

---

# **From Hairdresser to Storyteller**

Many people know me today as a filmmaker, playwright, musician, actor, educator, and multidisciplinary Indigenous artist.

What many people may not know is that one of the important stepping stones on that journey was hairdressing.

After working as a labourer in Hinton, Alberta, I saw the film *Shampoo* and thought, *"I could do that."* I enrolled in hairdressing school, earned my diploma, and eventually worked in Vancouver's fashion and film industry with Anthony & DeAngelis Hair Design, Bogart's for Hair, Maison Lawrence Hair Design, and later Stage One Hair Design while continuing to study and discover my artistic voice.

Hairdressing taught me far more than how to cut hair. It taught me colour, design, balance, patience, professionalism, listening, and helping people discover confidence in themselves. Looking back, those lessons became part of my work as a theatre director, filmmaker, performer, teacher, and community artist.

Along the way I learned another lesson that has stayed with me throughout my life:

**If you have the ability to help, don't wait to be asked. Step forward.**

During the filming of *First Blood* in 1982, I was hired as a background performer. When the production discovered I was a trained hairdresser, I gladly volunteered my skills whenever another pair of hands was needed. That initiative led to additional opportunities, and I remained with the production from November through March.

Years later, while touring with **Stone Soup** in 1997, a sudden thunderstorm frightened many of the young dancers and children. Without thinking, I drew upon the outdoor skills I had learned years earlier at St. John's School—building a lean-to, starting a fire, and helping keep everyone calm, dry, and safe.

Looking back now, I realize that no knowledge is ever wasted. Every experience—whether on a farm, in a salon, on an oil rig, in a classroom, on a stage, or on a film set—became another lesson that prepared me not only to become an artist, but also to become a better human being.

More importantly, it reminded me that **none of us reaches this point alone.**

---

# **With Gratitude**

**Today, before moving on to whatever tomorrow may bring, I simply want to say thank you.**

No single person builds a life alone. This is my small way of honouring those who have walked beside me throughout my life's journey.

Before I acknowledge those who helped shape my life, I also want to thank every audience member, festival participant, gallery visitor, theatre patron, concertgoer, student, volunteer, and community member who ever took the time to experience my work.

Many years ago, **Bill Henderson**, of **The Collectors**, later **Chilliwack**, sang the words:

> **"If there ain't no audience, there ain't no show."**

Those words have stayed with me throughout my life.

As artists, we may write the songs, create the films, perform the plays, paint the pictures, or tell the stories—but without those willing to listen, to watch, to feel, and to share the journey, the work cannot truly live.

To every audience member who has ever laughed, cried, questioned, applauded, reflected, or simply gave their time...

**Thank you.**

# # # Ancestors and Family

The Ancestors; my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Gene and Irene Morin Lieppke; Helmut Lippke; Auntie Ann Bilan; Bill Bilan; Larry Bilan; Bill and Mary Ann Bilan; Joan Bilan; Trevor Bilan; Douglas Wilfred Moran; Donna Morin; Elaine Morin; Diane Fehr; Ronald Morin; Patrick Morin; Dorian Pruski; Barbara Lippke; Karen Whitford; Danielle Pruski; Jenny Pruski, Amie Coleman, Jessika Jeffers, Shalean Morin.

# # # Elders, Teachers, Mentors, Friends and Collaborators

Fiona Jackson; Loretta Todd; Mrs. Safanowich; Mr. Wayne and Mrs. Alice Cooper; Natalie Drache; Janice Toulouse; Dana Claxton; Arlene Bowman; Cleo Reece; Barbara Jackson; Monique Girald: June Whitaker; Kat Norris; Judi Piggott; Lynne Carrow; Deirdre Sam; Gunargie O'Sullivan; Rose Pointe; Edna Gardner; Brenda Taylor; Margot Kane; Lynn Phelan; Karen Jamieson; Margaret Harris; Kelly White; Sandra Semchuk; Laila Kalistiina Hansen; Sherri Hall; Marie Clements; Kim Soo Goodtrack; Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm; Amanda Smith; Ann McDonell; Lionel Chartrand; Derek Simons; Sharon Heath; Diane Browne; Wayne LaRivere; Sophie Merasty, Barry Morris and all of The Native Longhouse Church East Vancouver; Rosa John; William Commanda; Gordon Tootoosis; Melvin John; Lester Howse; Jerry Zaslove; Jim Scotland; Colin MacPherson; David Rimmer; Diane Rimmer; Al Razutis; Bruno Pacheco; Blair Harvey; Len George; Phil Lucas; Len Korelenko; Jacques Hubert; John Juliani; Jay Hamburger; Anthony Favel McNab; Jimy Sidlar; Don Claxton; Eric Alfred Gray; Jerry Humchitt; David Diamond; James Nicholas; Mary Nippi; Stephen C. Weatherbe; Curtis Cardinal; Ryann Cunningham; Tammy Wolfe; Rasunah Marsden; Josh Reid; Graeme Dibden; Michael P. Obey; Werner R. Thiessen; Terry Neville Crane; Stephen Atkins; Daniel Vie; Jennifer Franks; Amie Colman; Exequiel Calayan Jr.; Tracy Thomas-Falco; Perry G. Omeasoo; Cameron Malcolm; Ted Byfield; Vince Byfield; Dwayne Gilham.

# # # Organizations, Communities and Institutions

Alberta Foundation for the Arts; Canada Council for the Arts; Department of External Affairs Canada; INDIGENUITY CONSULT; Cinetel Films (Los Angeles); Michelle Stewart and Pam Wilson of the United States; together with the many organizations, communities, isher Jvolunteers, technicians, administrators, students, audiences, and artists whose generosity, collaboration, encouragement, and friendship have helped shape my journey.

If I have unintentionally forgotten anyone, please forgive me. At sixty-nine years of age, memory is not always perfect, but my gratitude remains.

Every one of you has helped shape the person, the artist, and the human being I continue striving to become.

As I grow older, I realize that whatever good I have accomplished has never been mine alone. It has been built upon the kindness, generosity, patience, wisdom, encouragement, and faith of others.

If any of you have a memory of our time together, or simply wish to send a few words of encouragement as I complete this next chapter of my journey, I would be honoured to hear from you. Sometimes a kind memory reminds us that we have never travelled alone.

As the late Elder William Commanda often reminded us through the teachings of the **Two Row Wampum**, we travel side by side, sharing the same river of life with mutual respect and responsibility. I hope we continue to walk together in that spirit.

May we all continue helping the next generation discover their own voices, realize their own potential, and remember that our greatest achievements are rarely accomplished alone.

Thank you for walking beside me throughout this incredible journey.

May the Creator watch over each of you and your families.

**Peace and love.**

**God bless you all.**

Donald

06/24/2026

"Good evening, family, friends, colleagues, and community members.
I wanted to share this promotional image I recently completed for two film projects currently in development: As A Koden: Talking Story – Who Is Your Name? and Métis Winter Morning.
The first project, Métis Winter Morning, is a historical drama inspired by the story of my parents and the experiences of our family during a difficult period in Canadian history.
The second project, As A Koden: Talking Story – Who Is Your Name?, is a contemporary Indigenous feature film exploring memory, identity, land, story, and the relationship between past and present.
Because there is so much discussion today about artificial intelligence and its role in the arts, I want to be transparent about how this image was created.
All the graphic work on the posters was assembled by me in Photoshop using my own family photographs, archival images, historical references, production materials, and personal artwork gathered over many years of research and creative development. The concept, storytelling, symbolism, composition, and final design decisions are entirely my own.
I did use digital tools, including Photoshop, Adobe Firefly, and ChatGPT, in a limited technical capacity to assist with image cleanup, edge softening, artifact removal, colour correction, and blending visual elements together. These tools helped refine the presentation of the image, but they did not create the story, the family history, the memories, the research, or the meaning behind the work.
Many of the images incorporated into the collage come directly from my family archives and historical materials. They represent real people, real places, real experiences, and real histories that continue to shape my work as a filmmaker, playwright, musician, educator, and visual artist.
The imagery reflects themes of family, memory, loss, resilience, Indigenous identity, community, history, and the ongoing responsibility of storytelling across generations.
At its heart, this piece is a hand-crafted digital collage built from lived experience and decades of artistic practice.
My intention in sharing this work is not only to introduce these film projects, but also to continue community outreach, build relationships, and invite conversations with those interested in Indigenous storytelling, independent filmmaking, cultural memory, and artistic collaboration.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support Indigenous storytelling, independent filmmaking, and the preservation of memory through art.
With gratitude,
Donald Morin
Filmmaker • Playwright • Musician • Visual Artist
TILMCOM – The Indigenous Literacy Manufacturing Company
— Donald Morin ,

06/19/2026

Warm Up The Ice Cream is a dark comedy, an absurdist theatre work, and a meta-theatrical investigation into the act of storytelling itself.
Set within a rehearsal space where actors, writers, characters, memory, and lived experience begin colliding in real time, the play deliberately blurs the boundaries between performance and reality. Drawing from traditions associated with Beckett, Ionesco, and experimental theatre, the work questions who controls a story, who gets to speak, and how marginalized voices survive within systems that often seek to silence them. At its centre is Harry, an Indigenous survivor whose presence carries the weight of history, displacement, resilience, and humour. Through interruption, contradiction, and theatrical disruption, the play invites audiences to witness not only a story unfolding, but the very machinery of theatre being exposed before their eyes.
As an artist, Donald Morin approaches theatre as a living space for inquiry rather than a fixed form. His work seeks to challenge conventional dramatic structures by breaking expectations, dismantling familiar theatrical conventions, and opening new ways of seeing. Influenced by visual culture, Indigenous storytelling traditions, performance art, and thinkers such as John Berger, Morin's practice asks audiences to examine how meaning is constructed and how power operates through narrative. Rather than offering easy answers, Warm Up The Ice Cream encourages viewers to participate in the act of interpretation itself. The result is theatre that is simultaneously political, philosophical, humorous, and deeply human—a theatrical experience where memory, identity, and imagination collide in ways that remain with audiences long after the performance ends. See less