Film Screening: #skoden

Join us on Tuesday, October 6th for a screening of the film "#skoden", followed by a live Q+A with filmmaker Damian Eagle Bear! This film screening is being co-hosted by the Indigenous Education Council and Community Wellbeing with additional co-sponsorship from the CERC-Health Equity and Community Wellbeing and Faculty of Community Services - Indigenous Resurgence.

Refreshments will be served at 5:30 P.M., with seating beginning at 6:00. See below for a synopsis of the film. 

Every meme has its story.

#skoden delves into the origins of an iconic meme to redefine the man at the center of it all, Pernell Bad Arm.

In the early days of social media, a notorious image circulated of an Indigenous man with raised fists, ready to strike. The photo initially shared to mock and reinforce stereotypes of Indigenous peoples, but one word added to the image would change it forever.

SKODEN – an Indigenous shortening of “let’s go then” – ignited an instant Indigenous pop culture icon that spread like wildfire across the internet.

But underneath the viral fame was a kind and generous Blackfoot man from Kainai who faced immense challenges while living on the streets. This documentary seeks to reclaim Pernell’s humanity, offering a deeper, more complex portrait of the man behind the meme.

This is his story.