Media portrayals of the Canadian Indian residential school system
Year Title Director Notes
1978 Wandering Spirit Survival School Marvin Midwicki , Les Holdway and Christopher Wilson Produced by the National Film Board the short film examines a school , organized by parents , that introduced subjects of particular relevance to its pupils . The experience of the children in the school is contrasted with the experienced lived by their parents in residential schools
1985 The Mission School Syndrome Northern Native Broadcasting A documentary feature that investigates the effect of residential schools in the Yukon , focusing on former residents of the Lower Post Residential School , the Baptist Indian Mission School ( Whitehorse ) , and the Chaoutla Indian Residential School ( Carcross ) , as well as the Yukon Hall Residence in Whitehorse
1989 Where the Spirit Lives Bruce Pittman A CBC dramatic portrayal of a young Aboriginal girl , Ashtoh-Komi , who is abducted and taken to a residential school in the 1930s
1991 The Learning Path Loretta Todd A powerful , ground-breaking documentary which follows three Aboriginal women educators and includes the harrowing experiences that two of the women faced in residential schools . Using a unique blend of documentary footage , dramatic re-enactments , and archival film , Todd weaves together the life stories of three unsung heroines who are helping to restore Aboriginal control over education
1991 Violation of Trust Fifth Estate A compelling documentary about Canada 's worst-kept secret , examining the lives of residential school survivors , along with stories of abuse
1992 Sleeping Children Awake Rhonda Kara Hanah Inspired by Shirley Cheechoo 's play Path with no Moccasins , Sleeping Children Awake is both a personal record of Canada 's history , and a tribute to the enduring strength of Native cultures
1993 Beyond the Shadows Gryphon Productions Ltd A powerful documentary about the legacy of Native residential schools ( missionary schools ) . The video touches on the historical background of these schools , but primarily depicts painful personal experiences ; the causes of multi-generational grief and healing processes underway in communities today
1998 Kuper Island : Return to the Healing Circle National Film Board Like thousands of other Aboriginal people across Canada and the United States , the former residents of Kuper Island are now beginning to break the silence and to speak out about the trauma of their residential school experience . For them , the time for healing has come
2001 Childhood Lost Doug Cuthand Through interviews , archival photos , and re-enactments , this program illuminates the experiences of four individuals who were sent to residential schools when they were very young
2005 A Day at Indian Residential Schools in Canada Indigenous Education Coalition This 26 minute documentary , hosted by youth , explores the life at three Indian residential schools . Survivors recollect their daily routines , time spent on chores , and their feelings of isolation . This film features archival images of life at the schools as well as interviews with survivors who had never before spoken on camera about their experiences
2007 The Fallen Feather : Indian Industrial Residential Schools Canadian Confederation Randy N. Bezeau The fallen feather provides an in-depth critical analysis of the driving forces behind the creation of Canadian Indian residential schools
2007 Unrepentant : Kevin Annett and Canada 's Genocide Kevin Annett A documentary describing the crimes committed in church-run residential schools
2008 Muffins for Granny Mongrel Media Nadia McLaren tells the story of her own grandmother by combining precious home movie fragments with the stories of seven elders dramatically affected by their experiences in residential school
2008 Stolen Children CBC Learning 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
2009 The Experimental Eskimos Barry Greenwald In the early 1960s the Canadian government conducted an experiment in social engineering . Three young Inuit boys were separated from their families in the Arctic and were sent to Ottawa , the nation 's capital , to live with white families and to be educated in white schools
2009 Unseen Tears Ron Douglas Native American families in Western New York and Canada continue to feel the impact of the Thomas Indian School and the Mohawk Institute in Ontario . Survivors speak of traumatic separation from their families , abuse , and a systematic assault on their language and culture . Western New York Native American communities are presently attempting to heal the wounds and break the cycle of inter-generational trauma resulting from the boarding school experience . Unseen Tears documents testimonies of boarding school survivors , their families , and social service providers
2009 Kakalakkuvik ( Where the Children Dwell ) Jobie Weetaluktuk Kakalakkuvik recounts the vivid memories of former students from Port Harrison ( now Inukjuak , Quebec ) , the first group of Inuit to sue the federal government for compensation
2009 Savage Lisa Jackson In a subversion of the traditional residential school narrative , a group of First Nations children in a residential school break out into choreographed hip hop dance routines whenever they 're unsupervised
2009 Shi-Shi-Etko Kate Kroll Shi-Shi-Etko will soon be taken away from her home to begin her formal western education at a residential school . Her mother , father and grandmother want her to remember her roots and they wait for her return in the spring to continue passing down those ideals to her
2012 We Were Children Tim Wolochatiuk Documentary film about the experiences of survivors Lyna Hart ( Guy Hill Residential School ) and Glen Anaquod ( Lebret Indian Residential School )
Film and TV
The list of media portrayals of the Canadian Indian residential school system includes examples of works created to highlight lived experiences the Canadian Indian residential school system, a network of schools established by the Canadian government and administered by church officials to assimilate Indigenous students.