On an appropriately cold, rainy night March 12, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and Espace pour la vie Montréal screened We Were Children at the Botanical Gardens. Using vivid reenactments, the film sheds light on the disturbing crimes that disgraced Canada’s residential schools.
With many survivors in attendance and the difficulty of the subject matter, precautions were taken in case anyone had trouble with what was being shown on the screen. Even for those who never had the experience, watching the film is bound to elicit strong emotions over the plight of helpless young children forcibly taken away from their families for years of physical, sexual and cultural abuse. After the screening there was a question-and-answer period where the commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada along with others shared their insight into this tough subject.
Produced in association with the National Film Board (NFB), We Were Chidren is available on its website for purchase or rental. “Justice begins when you uncover truth and tell stories of what happened, and we cannot have justice without those stories being told,” said NFB chairperson Tom Perlmutter.
Tim Wolochatiuk, whose films frequently tackle difficult subjects, directed the film and his portrayal of what occurred in the residential schools comes to life in shocking detail as he focuses on the experiences of two survivors, Lyna Hart and the late Glen Anaquod.
Hart’s participation marked the first time that she had ever spoken publicly about what happened at Guy Hill Residential School in Manitoba. From being taken away from her parents for a “proper” education to the shocking sexual abuse she witnessed and endured at the hands of those entrusted with watching over the defenseless children. The film also covers the time after she left the school and her struggle to move on. Hart has stated that being filmed telling her story aided her in her healing process.
What Anaquod had to experience and the vile abuse he witnessed during his time at the Lebret Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan left many in the audience aghast. His struggles after leaving the school also serves as a testament to the long-lasting effects that these institutions had on all of those affected by them.
Although the story is one that many institutions in Canada would like to see go away, it is important that it be shown to all Canadians so that the healing can truly begin.
“All of the documentaries that we make are part of our history,” said veteran Aboriginal director Alanis Obomsawin, who attended the screening. “It’s not just for [the present] but it’s for the future, for our children to know what the stories are and to be able to stand on their own two feet and feel good about who they are.”
The importance of capturing the story on camera being told firsthand by survivors is important because if it isn’t recorded for posterity once the last survivor dies there will be no one left to recount what happened. At the end of the film, Anaquod says that his last wish was to have his story heard. Sadly he passed before the completion, but his last wish is now being fulfilled.
For too long many of the survivors lived in silence as they dealt with thier trauma. But with each step towards reconciliation the process of healing moves forward. With four years since the official apology for Canada’s residential schools, the story is now being shown so that as a country, Canada will learn from its mistakes and be move forward.
