Hunting in Wartime

Gr 9 Up—Beginning with the introduction of a Tlingit legend about siblings leaving their father, the sun, for life on Earth, this tale serves as the framing story for a group of Alaskan natives who make an equally transformative journey. They venture from the isolation and the prejudice of their small village to fight in the Vietnam War. Told through interviews with surviving veterans and historical visuals, this account is an extremely moving depiction of the war and the struggles of Tlingit veterans to acclimatize afterward. By combining these two narratives into one overlapping story, the program brings a fresh perspective to the atrocities of the conflict and its lasting effect on the soldiers and civilians. With extremely gruesome war photos and footage, the film makes a very strong point about the nature of war, and it is not for the faint of heart or the very young. Nor are the frank discussions about suicide and alcohol and drug use. It is difficult at times to watch but always honest and compelling.