Jamie Linington is turning some heads. The 17-year-old is poised to address the United Nations Youth Assembly this August regarding a film she directed and starred in called ‘Wisdom of the Elders.’ Such a fantastic opportunity would have seemed surreal to Linington just last year when she was living day-to-day like any other teenager.
Starting at the beginning of her incredible journey, Linington says Lucille Cook helped get the ball rolling on what could be the beginning of a great career in filmmaking.
“I worked at the Friendship Centre for three years as a summer employee,” Linington says. “All those years, she (Cook) was telling me to get involved. I started with the Alberta Aboriginal Youth Council in November as part of the UMAYC (Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centre) proposal committee.
“I agreed but I didn’t entirely know what I was getting myself into. I am a younger person but was always interested in leadership roles and public speaking. She said the UMAYC proposal committee would be a good learning experience.”
Linington also has designs on becoming a politician and says working with UMAYC opened the door. She went from being a normal teenage girl to being a volunteer committed to youth initiatives on local and provincial levels.
Now she is working full-time at the Friendship Centre filling in for Sonya Laboucan (maternity leave), going to school at Lakeside Outreach (she says none of this would have been possible without the school’s understanding), and devoting a considerable amount of her free time to film production. She attended a few film production workshops and helped produce three short films, the latest of which has garnered the United Nation’s interest.
“It (is) from a Metis perspective. I was the main star - a blond, fair-complexion young girl who doesn’t fit in with the Aboriginal kids because of (her) appearance and not fitting in with white society because of the interest she takes in her aboriginal culture.”
Elders are greatly respected in aboriginal culture and this film respects that protocol. It ends with an elder imparting words of wisdom, hence the title, ‘Wisdom of the Elders.’
The ANFSA (Alberta Native Friendship Association) sent a proposal to the United Nations to air the film at its annual Youth Assembly. Linington and a teenaged girl from Peace River will speak before the assembly on Aug. 3 or Aug.4.
“I am really honoured to do it. I’ve always done very well in school with oral presentations and never had a problem voicing my opinion. I’m flattered to have been asked to do this. It is also very rewarding after all the hard work to make the films. These films would see us working until 10:00 every night.”
With this provincial, national, and soon to be international acclaim, Linington has remained grounded. She hopes to use all her experience to show area youth that opportunities abound.
“One of the men at (a) film production had a very powerful message that stuck with me. He said, ‘Everyday, the media uses youth. Let’s use the media.’ They focus on the negativity that surrounds youth – alcohol, drugs, and stuff like that. We need to get it out there that young people aren’t just smoking, drinking, and throwing rocks. Some of them feel that there is nothing else to do but throw rocks but they have to help themselves too. As weird as that sounds, that’s how it has to be. We can provide all the diversions in the world but youths have to take advantage of them.”
Hearing the request of some local young musicians, Linington has put together what she calls a ‘Bash of the Bands,’ a jam session at the Friendship Centre May 25.
“I don’t know much about guitars but I think it will be popular. They (musicians) tell me there’s no place to jam out. (This) fundraiser is an opportunity for young people to show off what they’ve got.”
To get involved with the jam session or to contact Linington, call the Slave Lake Friendship Centre at 849-3039.

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