Carved from the Heart

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It intertwines the process of carving and erecting the Healing Heart totem pole with the participants' stories of personal loss, grief, substance abuse, suicide and violence. This powerful film explores questions of death and dying, family relationships and parenting, domestic violence, and the impact of the war in Vietnam on veterans and their families. The film also acknowledges the intergenerational grief growing out of the rapid changes in lifestyle, and the interruptions to the passing on of tradition and knowledge within Alaska Native and American Indian communities like Craig. But, most importantly, Carved from the Heart demonstrates the enormous power of mutual support, culture, art, and ceremony in enabling a community to face tragedy, provide support to its members, and find a path to healing.