Carved from the heart: Follows Stan Marsden, a Tsimshian wood carver, after he loses his son to a cocaine overdose and decides to create a totem pole in his son's memory. Shows how he invites the town of Craig, Alaska to help and how the pole becomes a communal project, bringing people of diverse backgrounds and ages together. Intertwines the process of carving and erecting the Healing Heart totem pole with the participants' stories of personal loss, grief, substance abuse, suicide, and violence. Examines the intergenerational grief growing out of the rapid changes in lifestyle and the interruptions to the passing on of tradition and knowledge within Alaskan Native and American Indian communities like Craig.

Words from the heart: This follow-up film shows how Stan Marsden's story of converting personal tragedy into affirmative force has prompted healing and encouraged action from Alaska to the South Pacific.