– Director/writer/producer: John Paskievich

– Diary by: Eve Lazarus

Early 1992: John Paskievich learns about a group of ‘Czech Indians’ living in the former Czechoslovakia who have embraced North American Native culture. Called the ‘White Wampum’ tribe, these Czechs work as laborers by day, live in teepees by night and dress in loincloths, feathers and moccasins. Having never travelled outside eastern Europe, their knowledge of Indian culture is based on ethnographical books and the writings of turn-of-the-century Canadian naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton.

Early spring 1992: Paskievich teams up with anthropologist David Scheffel with the idea of filming a documentary.

Paskievich approaches the National Film Board. After discussions about the ‘sensitive topic’ in a conference call between Paskievich and nfb officials in Vancouver, Montreal and Edmonton, the film board comes through with a ‘major sum’ for research and development.

Telefilm Canada funds a little under $5,000 for research.

Summer 1992: The Canadian Manitoba Cultural Industries Development Office tells Paskievich that $30,000 will be available if he can secure a broadcast licence.

Paskievich is turned down by cbc, ctv and Global: ‘They said it was a very light-weight topic. I was told it was not hard hitting.’

Fall 1992: Paskievich flies to the former Czechoslovakia to research possibilities for a documentary film. He conducts preliminary interviews with members of the tribe.

January 1993: The crew is hired: Robert Hanchard of Vancouver, sound; Toronto-based Joan Hutton, camera; Holly Gregory of Vancouver, assistant camera; Ellen Rutter of Winnipeg, production manager; and Kamloops, b.c.-based David Scheffel.

Paskievich flies to Santa Fe, New Mexico to interview Seton’s surviving daughter Barbara for ‘invaluable’ research.

Paskievich cowrites an introductory script with Scheffel.

Spring 1993: Independent broadcaster cky Winnipeg shows interest in the project. Shortly after, cfcf-tv Montreal, cfcn-tv Calgary and Northern Canada tv in Yellowknife come through with broadcast licences.

Great North Releasing, an Edmonton distributor, offers a $20,000 advance conditional on having all financing in place and Telefilm involvement.

July 1993: Paskievich applies to Telefilm for 49% of the film’s $470,000 budget. He is turned down.

August 1993: The film is shot in the former Czechoslovakia using nfb and cido money. ‘It was supposed to be a partial shoot, but it turned out essentially to be the whole shoot. I would have liked to have shot more, perhaps gone over there again, but I wasn’t able to because I never got enough funds.’

Fall 1993: Paskievich uses the rest of the money to cut the interviews. He contacts other broadcasters across Canada and the u.s. in attempts to raise more financing. Vision tv and ckpr/chfd Thunder Bay come on board and financing from the independents now makes up 10% of the total budget.

December 1993: Winnipeg editor Jeff McKay is hired.

Early 1994: Paskievitch applies to Telefilm again, but this time the amount has gone down to $130,000. He is turned down again: ‘There is nothing more discouraging than having a certain amount of money and then to be turned down.I could never get a definite answer from Telefilm. There would always be things like, ‘There wasn’t any money,’ or ‘There’s a lot of competition out there John, the broadcast licences aren’t enough, you need a national broadcaster.’ ‘

In desperation, he takes out a loan with the Toronto-Dominion Bank. Paskievich says he’s ‘too embarrassed’ to say how much. ‘There is nothing worse than to have a film put on hold, because what happens is everybody starts falling away. The editor has to make a living, the production manager has to make a living, and so if you can’t pay them, the film becomes stale and any enthusiasm you might have becomes soured.’

Spring 1994: Paskievich pays everybody except himself. Interviews are transcribed and translated into English by nfb biologist Emil Kucera. The sound is cut. Paskievitch goes to Ottawa to obtain archival materials on Seton.

He shoots all the archival material on an animation camera in Montreal.

Summer 1994: The film is edited and Paskievich sends out about 50 videocassettes to broadcasters, foundations and ‘everybody I could think of.’

He approaches Telefilm once again, and is turned down for the third time.

Late fall 1994: Heritage Canada provides $24,000 for production financing.

Winter 1994: Responses come back from various foundations and television stations: ‘But the response was all the same – they wanted to see the finished film, I was out of luck there.’

Early 1995: ‘We are still scratching away, wondering how we are going to do this film,’ says Paskievich. ‘Then cbc, who wasn’t interested in the beginning, became interested after they saw the stuff. They wanted to give me a fair amount of money – more than the little guys had given me – but I couldn’t abandon the little guys who were with me at the beginning. It was an awful thing to happen.’

tvontario offers to buy the film, but Paskievich refuses to disclose the amount offered.

May 1995: Telefilm finally agrees to fund about $80,000 to help finish the film.

June 1995: The film is accepted by the Toronto International Film Festival.

August 1995: Paskievich gets the final print of his film.

September 1995: If Only I Were An Indian has its world premiere at the Toronto festival.