Residential Schools

A collection of 23 titles related to the history of residential schools in Canada and the work of the TRC.

Collection of documentaries related to the 94 calls to action of the TRC.

In the 19th century the Canadian government set up the residential school system as a way to teach English and Christianity to Aboriginal children. Successive generations were taken from their families and put in boarding schools run by churches. Over the years, many of the children suffered physical, mental and even sexual abuse. Many died. In 2008 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was created to look into the legacy of this dark chapter in our history.

At the centre of this collection is Gord Downie's The Secret Path, an emotional animated film following the last days of Chanie Wenjack as he tried to escape residential school. In addition, stories and interviews with the Wenjack family, Indigenous artists and leaders explore the ongoing and necessary work of building new relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and communities.

A collection of 41 titles related to the history of residential schools in Canada.

This volume of six documentaries from The National profiles Justice Murray Sinclair, Manitoba's first Aboriginal judge and the head of the Commission; uncovers the personal stories of survivors both on the ground in Winnipeg and across Canada; and gets up-close with 11-year-old Wanekia Morning Star Cooke to hear the younger generation's take on the residential school experience.

For more than 100 years, many native children were taken away from their families and forced to stay at residential schools. Two years ago, the Canadian government apologized for the suffering and the abuse many experienced. Now a Truth and Reconciliation Commission is hearing from some of those affected.

During and following World War II residential schools were used as laboratories where scientists would test the effects of several vitamin supplements and other products on the malnurished aboriginal individuals residing there, most of them children. Murray Sinclair, chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, shares his opinion and knowledge on the matter.

To those who ask why Indigenous people don't just "get over" the residential school experience, Senator Murray Sinclair has this response: "My answer has always been: Why can't you always remember this?" Sinclair was speaking at one of The Current's public forum on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG).

...explores the legacy of residential schools through the eyes of two extraordinary women who not only lived it firsthand, but who, as adults, made the surprising choice to return to the school that had affected their lives so profoundly. This intimate and moving film affirms their strength and dignity in standing up and making a difference on their own terms.

Sisters & Brothers mourns the preventable deaths of thousands of Aboriginal children in residential schools while honouring the resiliency of Canada's First Peoples.

As young children, Lyna and Glen were taken from their homes and placed in church-run boarding schools. The trauma of this experience was made worse by years of untold physical, sexual and emotional abuse, the effects of which persist in their adult lives. In this emotional film, the profound impact of the Canadian government's residential school system is conveyed unflinchingly through the eyes of two children who were forced to face hardships beyond their years. We Were Children gives voice to a national tragedy and demonstrates the incredible resilience of the human spirit.

This 1958 NFB production includes a short segment described as follows: "Northern Schooldays introduces us to First Nations children educated in a residential school in Moose Factory." This film footage (starting at minute 5:14) has interest as an artifact of its time.

The Elders of Shoal Lake 40 prepare a feast as part of their annual Fall Harvest, where they share traditional knowledge and teachings with the people of the community. As they prepare bannock, fish and meat, they plaintively recount traumatic experiences from their childhoods, including being hidden from residential school and remembering those who lost or risked their lives trying to cross the ice. When the Elders talk about their responsibility in caring for community members and passing their knowledge on to the next generation, they illuminate the powerful source of the community’s continued endurance and strength.

Jay Cardinal Villeneuve’s short documentary Holy Angels powerfully recaptures Canada’s colonialist history through impressionistic images and the fragmented language of a child. In 1963, Lena Wandering Spirit became one of the more than 150,000 Indigenous children who were removed from their families and sent to residential school.

Collection of videos by the National Film Board by Indigenous Filmmakers on the Residential School experience

A poignant all-Indigenous English and Cree-English collaborative documentary film that breaks long-held silences imposed upon children who were interned at the notoriously violent St. Anne's Residential School in Fort Albany First Nation, Ontario.

Indian Residential Schools are a part of our shared history in Canada. The Truth and Reconciliation Summary that was undertaken as an element of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement outlines 94 recommendations for achieving a full reconciliation between Canada’s native and non-native peoples.

This program examines the history, legacy and current impacts of the Residential School experience in Canada. From the establishment of the early Residential Schools to the work of the Trusth and Reconciliation Commission, this film shines a light into this dark chapter of Canadian history.

"Prior to the arrival of Europeans, First Nations people were a richly diversified, self-sufficient culture living in various areas of Canada. Much of that changed with the arrival of the first Europeans. Colonization is the action or process of settling and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area disconnecting them from the land, their history, their identity and their rights so that others benefit. It is a basic form of injustice, and has been condemned as a practice by the United Nations. In this new production from award-winning Métis filmmaker Matt LeMay, we explore the history and consequences of the Canadian Government attempting to assimilate Canada's Indigenous population. We explore the Indian Act, the establishment of the Canadian Residential School system, broken treaty promises, and the 60's scoop. This video will educate the viewer as to why so many of Canada's First Nation communities face serious sociological and economic challenges."--Distributor's website.

Penelakut ~ Returning to the Healing Circle looks at the dramatic changes on the Island and how the 'Intergenerational Survivors' have dealt with living in the shadow of their parents trauma.

This film explores the history and impact of the Canadian residential school system through a collection of interviews with some of Canada's most influential Indigenous leaders.

Dr. Peter H. Bryce was the Chief Medical Health officer for the Department of Indian Affairs in 1907 when he reported on appalling health conditions in residential schools on the prairies. Bryce’s report was discredited by the department’s chief bureaucrat Duncan Campbell Scott, and Bryce was later relieved of his duties at Indian Affairs. But for the rest of his life, Peter Henderson Bryce would lobby for better conditions for Indigenous people. He went on to write Story of a National Crime – An Appeal for Justice to the Indians of Canada.

This film exposes the health crisis facing the Indigenous community in Canada through the stories of three Indigenous women. These women who survived the residential school system in Canada take viewers through an emotional journey of abuse and trauma and exposes viewers to the negative effects of these experiences on their health.

In this RezX segment, we hear from Traditional Knowledge Keeper Joseph Naytowhow and Dr. Shauneen Pete, a Professor at the University of Regina as they speak about the meaning of truth and reconciliation.

Kuper Island Residential School stood on a remote island off the coast of British Columbia. For almost a century, hundreds of Coast Salish children were sent to Kuper Island, where they were forbidden from speaking their native language, forced to deny their cultural heritage, and often faced physical and sexual abuse. Some died trying to escape on logs across the water. Many more died later, trying to escape their memories.

In just four days Shi-shi-etko will be taken away to residential school. Each of these days she spends with a different family member--her mother, her father and her Yayah (grandmother). Knowing what's in store, each of them reminds her of the beauty of her culture, who she is and, most importantly, to never forget.

"Based on the children's book by Nicola Campbell, this drama follows Shin-chi who is about to begin his first year of studies at Indian Residential School."

After decades of waiting, Aboriginal Canadians received a formal apology for the Federal Government on June 11, 2008. This landmark event in Canadian history recognized the loss of culture caused by the Church-run residential schools that thousands of Aboriginal children were forced to attend. It also acknowledged the physical and sexual abuse that many suffered in those institutions. In this package of documentaries from The National, CBC explores the impact of residential schools on former students and the larger community, presenting ideas for what more can be done to address this painful chapter in Canada's history.

Focuses on the place of education in renewing Indigenous culture and tradition. The film is part of a larger Social Science and Humanities Council funded study and is based on interviews with the children and grandchildren of residential school survivors first interviewed for a 1986 study done by Celia Haig-Brown.

The fallen feather provides an in-depth critical analysis of the driving forces behind the creation of Canadian Indian Residential Schools. Using historical source documents, survivors' personal testimonies and detailed analysis from community leaders, the film explores in detail, the Federal Government's primary motivation in the creation of these schools. While examining the influences of Indian wars, Sir John A. MacDonald's National Policy, Land Claims issues, the film details how all of these events and visions contributed to the development of these schools. The film argues that the lasting effects that First Nations in Canada suffer today, can be traced back directly to their experiences within these schools. Finally, we as Canadians are all challenged to re-examine our shared history.

Examines a century of native residential schools in Canada. Focuses on the Williams Lake, BC school and the harsh experiences of the children who went there. Speaks to survivors, an historian, a therapist, and clergymen who ran the school. Asks questions about government policy, society's attitudes, and the responsibility of the priests. Gives statistics; illuminates how former students are trying to heal.

This video provides highlights of June 11, 2008 in the House of Commons, the day the Prime Minister of Canada issues an apology for the Indian Residential Schools system. Included are responses from the various First Nations respresentatives who were present on the floor of the House of Commons.

In this video three remarkable educatiors are introduced. In their own unique ways, Edmonton elders Ann Anerson, Eva Cardinal and Olive Dickason are leading younger natives along the path of enlightenment. Documentary footage, dramatic re-enactments and archival film inter-weave the three women's stories, and Anderson and Cardinal recount their own experiences at residential schools; memories which have fueled their determination to preserve their native languages and identities.

Discusses residential schools and what they have done to native languages and culture. At the other end of the spectrum we see the native survival school in Kahnewake, Quebec and Sagamuck Public School, Northern Ontario.

A documentary about the legacy of native residential schools in Canada. It touches on the historical background of these schools, but primarily depicts painful personal experiences: the causes of multi-generational grief and the healing processes underway in communities today.

Through interviews, archival photos, and re-enactments, illuminates the experiences of four individuals who were sent to residential schools when they were very young. While their stories represent different generations spanning over fifty years, they share a common sense of loneliness, despair, and trauma. Some are still coping with the many years of abuse and the effects it has had on their lives. At the end, they are brought together in a talking circle to share their memories of pain and humour.

Describes the role of mission schools in the education of native children from the 1920's to the 1980's and addresses the long term impact on native communities. Former students describe the feelings of isolation and fear as they were separated from their families and forbidden to speak their own language, and the diffculties they encountered on returning to their villages.

Takes an historical look at the social and political motives which led to the creation of residential schools. Interviews include an Ojibway chief and an Anglican priest from Shingwauk Hall, a residential school in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, who reveal different perspectives, but the reality of high mortality rates due to lack of medical treatment and a starvation diet is indisputable. Finally, an invited panel discusses the program, the residential schools policy, and its legacy.

Jingle Dress-First Dance documents the healing journey of Jules Koostachin (Cree, Attawapiskat). In honour of resolving the harm done to her family because her mother was held against her will in the Canadian Native Residential School System, Jules invites a first generation Canadian of European descent to be her witness while she pursues the dream of dancing at a pow wow for the first time in a Jingle Dress.

This documentary tells the story of two young Cree women healing from the intergenerational trauma they experience living in the isolated James Bay Cree community of Mistissini, Quebec. Maryjane and Dayna rise from unfortunate circumstances and find hope, inspiring them to work to improve their community for future generations on a reserve still struggling to cope with the appalling legacy left behind by Canada's residential school system.