Review: ‘Seeds’ vigorously protects its roots

A lot of cultures are struggling to maintain their traditions, finding it difficult to pass them down to disinterested young people. Even worse, some customs and languages have been intentionally erased by colonization and genocide. However, this has been countered by a growing effort to preserve heritages, and ensure they will be valued and available to future generations. Indigenous Peoples are a prime example of a population that nearly lost its traditions, but is working to protect and impart them. In Seeds, a major corporation is threatening a family’s legacy by monetizing a safeguarded secret passed down from one generation to the next.

Ziggy (Kaniehtiio Horn) moved from her reservation to Toronto to find financial stability and she’s finally nearing her goal with a contract to leverage her influencer status for Nature’s Oath, a seed and fertilizer company. However, on the first day of their posting agreement, she’s called back to the rez to care for her vacationing aunt’s home while her cousin, Wiz (Dallas Goldtooth), goes fishing — which would be fine if she could access a steady internet connection. In addition to avoiding ex-boyfriend Bandit’s (Meegwun Fairbrother) phone calls and worrying about a series of local break-ins, she’s also warned to beware of her new business partner who may want more than just her social media support. Amusingly, her homecoming also coincides with the start of very vivid dreams featuring Graham Greene, who often appears to deliver a warning.

Ziggy is Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (Mohawk) and, in spite of her complaining, she truly enjoys returning to her friends and loved ones, where she can speak her language and tend to her aunt’s small farm. It brings back happy memories of a childhood spent learning her family’s traditions and being tasked with protecting their legacy: a cache of rare seeds, cultivated by her ancestors. In addition to cute photos of her cat, Ziggy talks about her heritage on her Instagram account and what it means to her, including a rather chilling account of how her predecessors dealt with their enemies. When she finds an intruder in her aunt’s house, she may have an opportunity to recreate their rituals.

There’s a lot to enjoy in this small Canadian film, from the likeable cast to the environmentally conscious but not preachy script that blends humour and badassery. Ziggy is very sweet on the outside, but she’s also a fierce, independent woman who has the respect of the men in her life — traits that Horn imbues in the picture as its writer, director and lead actor. Goldtooth and Fairbrother are excellent sidekicks to her warrior journey, believing in her abilities and being generally supportive in whatever she can and will do. On the other hand, Patrick Garrow is the iconic villain, remarkably still returning to the scene of the crime after taking a pretty a big loss on his first attempt, which speaks to the compensation he must receive from the evil corporation using genetically-modified seeds to exploit farmers.

There’s been a movement to tell stories with diversity that aren’t necessarily about diversity and this movie fits the bill. While it’s unmistakably an Indigenous narrative that celebrates the characters’ language and history, it’s also a home invasion movie in which the trespassers should’ve learned their lesson the first time and respected the resolve of the final girl.

Director: Kaniehtiio Horn
Starring: Kaniehtiio Horn, Graham Greene and Patrick Garrow