New documentary explores Indigenous-led farming in northern B.C.
Tea Creek, by Indigenous filmmaker Ryan Dickie, tells the story of a farm in Kitwanga
A new documentary released on CBC Gem Friday tells the story of an Indigenous-led farming initiative in northern British Columbia that aims to foster a deeper connection between Indigenous communities and their land, through the growing, harvesting, and sharing of food.
Tea Creek follows Jacob Beaton, a Tsimshian man who left a successful career as a business consultant to cocreate Tea Creek Farm in Kitwanga — a community situated between Smithers and Terrace — alongside his wife, Jessica Ouellette.
In an interview with CBC's North by Northwest, Beaton said his family's journey into farming began simply enough, with a backyard garden in their Hazelton, B.C. home inspired by their eldest son, Noah.
"[Noah] fell in love with gardening back when he was eight [or] nine years old, and we were living in town and we wanted to shift out to more of a rural farming lifestyle," Beaton said.
In 2018, the family purchased the 140-acre farm in Kitwanga.
What began as a simple homesteading dream has blossomed into a thriving farming operation, Beaton said, yielding over 20,000 pounds of produce each year and inviting community members to share in the harvest at no cost.
"I realized we had something special and unique … and in 2020, I came up with what we call the Tea Creek model."
This model includes training community members in various areas that support Indigenous economies and food sovereignty. Trainees not only develop farming skills but also learn about cooking, administration, new media and trades, including carpentry, auto mechanics, heavy equipment operation and agricultural equipment servicing.
The 75-minute-long documentary also delves into the impact of the model on one young trainee, Justice Moore, who shares his personal journey of healing at Tea Creek. Moore credits the farm with helping him regain stability and sobriety.
Dene filmmaker Ryan Dickie said he found the documentary-making process to be a rewarding educational experience.
"I was quickly taken aback by the Tea Creek model and how effective it was in healing people. You can see it in the relationships that are established between Jacob and the mentees, the trainers and the trainees," he told CBC's North by Northwest.
The film also addresses the broader historical context of colonialism's impact on Indigenous food systems.
Laws in the Indian Act restricted Indigenous people's ability to farm, including regulations that barred them from selling produce off-reserve. The legislation was only officially repealed in 2014.
Beaton pointed out that before colonization, Indigenous people in B.C. cultivated lands and produced bountiful harvests — a fact that he said remains largely unknown to many.
"I thought that my ancestors were hunter-gatherers. That's what you're told in school, that's the myth, that's the modern narrative," he said. "Except it's 100 per cent false."
The farm owner said he and his team aim to combat food insecurity in Indigenous communities, which have long been affected by colonial policies that disrupted traditional food systems.
In 2022, the farm won one of the B.C. Land Awards for sustainable land use and, in the same year, the United Nations recognized Tea Creek as a "Food Hero" in Canada.
However, the journey hasn't been without challenges. The farm faces financial hurdles, relying heavily on private donations.
"Unfortunately we're not funded by the government this year. We didn't get funding and we don't have any multi-year funding from the government, so it's very difficult right now for us to fulfil our vision," Beaton said.
He said the farm operates on a year-by-year basis and his biggest worry has been how to keep it afloat.
Tea Creek is available to stream now on CBC Gem as part of the Absolutely Canadian series.
With files from North by Northwest and Daybreak North