An Oscar-nominated documentary about deaths, abuse, and missing children at a former British Columbia residential school should be shown in schools across Canada, says a First Nations leader. Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars, whose nation encompasses the former St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School, said the film “Sugarcane” has the power to educate and heal.
An Oscar-nominated documentary about deaths, abuse, and missing children at a former British Columbia residential school should be shown in schools across Canada , says a First Nations leader. The film “Sugarcane,” directed by Secwépemc artist Julian Brave NoiseCat from Williams Lake in the B.C. Interior, and Toronto journalist Emily Kassie, received an Academy Award nomination this week for best documentary feature.
Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars, whose nation encompasses the Sugar Cane Reserve and the former St. Joseph’s Mission Residential school said the nomination stirred conflicting emotions of joy, trauma, and validation among members of his community. “We are really so proud,” Sellars said. “We really can’t believe it. The journey of ’Sugarcane' has been an emotional one on many fronts. The film has become so much bigger than all of us. It’s helping us tell the story and really be a part of the healing journey we are on.” Sellars said the film had the power to educate and heal, and the more people who viewed it, the greater the opportunity to bring understanding and change. “I would love to see this film part of the curriculum in every school in this country,” he said. “I would love to just think that this film had a big part in the healing journey that we are on as a country and as Indigenous Peoples.” It explores long-standing allegations that priests who fathered children with school residents sent the infants to an incinerator. Sellars, whose father William Sellars Sr. attended St. Joseph’s as a boy, said he was hopeful the film would help with the healing process that individuals and the community as a whole are still undergoing. “He is one of those survivors who never talks about his time at St. Joseph’s Mission,” said Chief Sellars. “The only stories I've ever heard him tell were about the hockey arena and learning how to skate.” Sellars said the school’s outdoor ice rink served as an outlet for the students, where many spent more time working as farm labourers than being students. Sellars, who has seen the documentary, said it puts the issue of Canada’s residential school history and experience on the world stage. More than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children attended church-run, government-funded residential schools between the 1870s and 1997. Canada’s National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation estimates about 4,100 children died at residential schools across the country based on death records but has said the actual total is likely much higher. In May 2021, the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc Nation in the Kamloops, B.C. area issued a report about the potential discovery of more than 215 possible grave sites at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, which were identified through the use of ground-penetrating radar. Sellars said ground-penetrating radar had detected more than 150 “anomalies” at the former St. Joseph’s school site but the only way the nation can confirm if the anomalies are graves is through excavation. “But I don’t know if we'll get to that place,” he said. “We continue to investigate the history and legacy of that school. It’s scary to think about all the monstrous things that happened at that school.
RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS CANADA DOCUMENTARY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES EDUCATION HEALING
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
First Nations National Chief Calls for Unity and Action on Pressing IssuesFirst Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak reflects on her first year in leadership, highlighting the progress made in unifying the First Nations community. She also addresses the ongoing challenges faced by First Nations people, including the rejection of a proposed compensation for underfunding of First Nations children in care and the persistent issue of boil water advisories.
Read more »
Canadian Documentary 'Sugarcane' About Residential School Abuse Nominated for OscarA documentary investigating abuse and missing children at a residential school near Sugar Cane reserve in Williams Lake, British Columbia, has received an Oscar nomination. 'Sugarcane', directed by Secwépemc filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat and Toronto journalist Emily Kassie, is up for the best documentary feature award. The film delves into allegations of deaths, abuse, suicides, and missing children at the former St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School, exploring claims that priests who fathered children with school residents sent the infants to an incinerator.
Read more »
Canadians behind Oscar-nominated residential school doc 'Sugarcane' hope to ‘illuminate the truth’Ed Archie NoiseCat says he's excited his son Julian Brave NoiseCat's documentary about a residential school in Canada has been nominated for an Oscar — and he hopes the recognition will bring more awareness about the abuses committed there.
Read more »
Oscar nod: B.C. residential school doc ‘Sugarcane’ gets nominatedThe film follows an investigation into the former St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School near Sugar Cane reserve in B.C.
Read more »
First Nations Demand Action on Child Welfare Reforms After Deal RejectionThe First Nations Child and Family Caring Society is urging the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to compel the federal government back to the negotiation table for national child welfare reforms. The call follows the rejection of proposed changes by First Nations chiefs on two occasions last year. The Assembly of First Nations National Chief is seeking clarity on the process after Canada indicated a willingness to renegotiate only with First Nations in Ontario.
Read more »
B.C. First Nations Demand Seat at the Table Amid US Trade ThreatsAs the US threatens tariffs on Canada, B.C. First Nations are asserting their right to be involved in negotiations. Leaders emphasized the importance of First Nations land ownership and rights, calling for full partnership in formulating responses to the trade threats. The issue highlights the broader concerns facing First Nations in B.C., including housing, the opioid crisis, inflation, and the state of the economy. Meanwhile, Premier David Eby has announced a task force to address the tariffs, which will include a representative from the First Nations Leadership Council.
Read more »