Carved from the Heart

Instead of focusing on the director’s commentary, we want to share an excerpt from our user’s guide on why we made Carved from the Heart.

Why We Made This Film

We believe this film has a far reaching message, and encourage you to share this story in a variety of settings: with young people, elders, and those struggling with substance abuse. Individuals coping with profound losses and Native and non-Native communities that are striving for understanding and better communication may also respond to the Healing Heart Totem story.

Stan Marsden (carver)
"My boy died in 1991 of a cocaine overdose. This was a very hard thing for me to accept. A friend said, 'Stan why don't you make a totem pole?' At that time I didn't feel like making a totem pole. It was about a year later that I started. A lot of times I wondered why I started the Healing Heart Pole. After a while, everything was so positive — the way people accepted and helped with the pole. They knew what it stood for. Now, this has reached farther than I really expected and people are beautiful working together."

Jan Marsden (daughter of carver Stan Marsden; sister of Jimmy Marsden)
"Telling the stories within the story is how Carved from the Heart came to life. It is a beautiful story of healing brought to life. Pass the story from person to person; to learn from the past and move on from there... Telling all, not to shame, just in attempt to heal. If we carry our past with us and try to make sense of it, we can begin to grow."

Healing Heart Totem Committee
"Stan was talking about carving a pole
in his son Jimmy's honor. He called together the people who wanted to help and the committee was born. Committee members included students, Alaska Natives, non-Natives, elders, youth, professionals and the self-employed. Stan carved the pole in memory of his son, but he wanted his loss to have greater meaning. He dedicated the pole to all the youth of Alaska, as a symbol of sobriety — of living a drug and alcohol-free life. It is also a symbol of healing from all kinds of losses. The committee assisted with making the film and is committed to continuing the vision of the Healing Heart Totem Pole."

K’asheechtlaa, Louise Brady (producer)
"Throughout my career working in human services, I witnessed many non-Native care providers come and go within the Native community. I saw their frustration which came from working in a community that has often been defined by its pathologies rather than its strengths. The cultures in Southeast Alaska have historically been closed communities, with little participation from outsiders. This is extremely unfortunate because even though we, as Native peoples, experience high rates of social problems, to a great extent we still hold tight to timeless traditions that nourish us and help us survive. I believe this film will give non-Native providers a glimpse of the strengths that lie within Native communities everywhere and will help those same people to understand that although there are many problems, there are also many strengths which are manifested through our traditions. I believe that ethically, it is the responsibility of these same care providers to seek out the people that are best able to heal our communities."

Ellen Frankenstein (director)
"When Louise Brady heard about the Healing Heart Totem Pole, she wanted to document it and we decided to collaborate on this film. I was drawn to this project because it is rare to see so many people joining together for a positive reason. Participants found the answers in themselves and in their community. They used art to heal and come together. I wanted to help create a film that would carry the story of what happened in Craig, Alaska, to individuals and communities all over."