JOHN WARE RECLAIMED follows Filmmaker Cheryl Foggo on her quest to uncover the complex story of John Ware, a Black cowboy who settled in Alberta during the ranching industry’s early years.

As filmmaker Cheryl Foggo endeavours to dig past the racist myths and mistellings surrounding John Ware, she recalls her childhood in Calgary, her own experiences of racism, and her family’s history as part of the 1910 migration to western Canada to escape violence in the southern United States.

Foggo’s archival, genealogical, and archaeological search, and her creative reimagining of John Ware’s life, reveal who this iconic figure might have been, and what his legacy means. Ware is played by Fred Whitfield, one of the few professional Black cowboys on today’s rodeo circuit. Music also plays an important role in the film, with contributions from Foggo’s own daughter and celebrated poet, Kris Demeanor.