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#Beyond94: Why language is vital for this Inuk residential school survivor
This video series allows students to track outcomes on the Calls to Action, learn more about the residential school(s) that operated near their communities (explore the interactive map) and discover concrete examples of how Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians can work together. The project is a living resource as new documentaries, residential school survivor stories, ideas and community-based action around reconciliation are added. In this episode, Inuk residential school survivor Jack Anawak once fired back at a fellow MP who criticized his speaking Inuktitut in the House of Commons.
Indian horse
An adaptation of Ojibway writer Richard Wagamese’s award-winning novel, this moving and important drama sheds light on the dark history of Canada’s boarding schools or Indigenous Residential Schools and the indomitable spirit of aboriginal people. INDIAN HORSE stars Canadian newcomers Sladen Peltier and Edna Manitowabi, as well as Ajuawak Kapashesit (Indian Road Trip, Once Upon A River), Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant, The Miseducation of Cameron Post), Michael Murphy (Away From Her), Michael Lawrenchuck (Tokyo Cowboy), Johnny Issaluk (Two Lovers And A Bear) and Michiel Huisman (The Age Of Adaline).
In the late 1950’s Ontario, eight-year-old Saul Indian Horse is torn from his Ojibway family and committed to one of the notorious Catholic Residential Schools. In this oppressive environment, Saul is denied the freedom to speak his language or embrace his Indigenous heritage while he witnesses horrendous abuse at the hands of the very people entrusted with his care. Despite this, Saul finds salvation in the unlikeliest of places and favourite winter pastime -- hockey. Fascinated by the game, he secretly teaches himself to play, developing a unique and rare skill. He seems to see the game in a way no other player can.
His talent leads him away from the misery of the school, eventually leading him to the Pros. But the ghosts of Saul’s past are always present, and threaten to derail his promising career and future. Forced to confront his painful past, Saul draws on the spirit of his ancestors and the understanding of his friends to begin the process of healing.
The Nitinaht Chronicles by Maurice Bulbulian (director)
This is a candid portrait of an Indigenous community struggling to come to terms with a searing legacy of sexual abuse, incest and family violence. The film follows the Ditidaht First Nation on BC's Nitinaht Lake Reserve over a seven-year period, after a respected elder is found guilty of sexually assaulting his granddaughter. Award-winning filmmaker Maurice Bulbulian was granted permission by members of the community to record their stories--and become a part of their healing process. These powerful and courageous interviews came to play a key role in enabling people in the community to share their experiences and overcome the cycle of abuse. Through their stories, they also reveal the continuing, devastating effects of the residential school system (which operated until the mid-1970s in BC). For decades, Indigenous youth were taken from their families and forced to attend these schools--where speaking their own languages and following their customs were forbidden, and where, all too often, physical, emotional and sexual abuse were routine. With hope and courage, the people in this film are overcoming their tragic past and healing themselves.
Rhymes for young ghouls by Jeff Barnaby
Red crow Mi'gMaq reservation, 1976: by government decree, every Indian child under the age of 16 must attend residential school. In the kingdom of the crow, that means imprisonment at St. Dymphna's. That means being at the mercy of "Popper", the sadistic Indian agent who runs the school. At 15, Aila is the weed princess of Red Crow. Hustling with her uncle Burner, she sells enough dope to pay Popper her 'truancy tax" keeping her out of St. Dymphna's. But when Aila's drug money is stolen and her father Joseph returns from prison, the precarious balance of Aila's world is destroyed. Her only options are to run or fight.... and Mi'gMaq don't run.
The Secret Path by Mike Downey
This powerful animated film tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old Ojibwa boy who died of exposure in 1966 while running away from Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School near Kenora, Ontario. The story is told through music by Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie and illustrations by graphic novelist Jeff Lemire.℗¿The Secret Path℗¿acknowledges a dark part of Canada's history - the long-suppressed mistreatment of Indigenous children and families by the residential school system - with the hope of engaging all Canadians in the reconciliation process.
Kuper Island : return to the healing circle by Peter C. Campbell and Christine Welsh
For almost a century hundreds of Coast Salish children were sent to Kuper Island Residential School on a remote island off the coast of B.C. Some died trying to escape on logs, across the water. Many more died later, trying to escape their memories. Now, twenty years after the school closed, the survivors are embarking on a remarkable spiritual journey of healing.
