12 year-old identical twins Tapwewin "Truth" and Pawaken "Totem" have never cut their hair. In Cree culture, and in many Indigenous communities across Turtle Island, hair represents our sacred connection to AsKi, the Earth. Growing the hair is a manifestation of the growth of spirit. Jules Koostachin, Tapwewin and Pawaken's mom - and documentary filmmaker - learned of a sacred coming-of-age ceremony when she was in her early 20s. An Elder told her that when boys hit puberty, a ceremony around the cutting of hair is a right of passage that supports and uplifts youth as they transition into the next phase of their lives.
—Jules Koostachin