The list of media portrayals of the Canadian Indian residential school system includes examples of works created to highlight the Canadian Indian residential school system, a network of schools established by the Canadian government and administered by church officials to assimilate Indigenous students.
Film and television
Year TitleType Director / producer Notes 1978 Wandering Spirit Survival School Short 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 Documentary feature 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 Television film 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.1991The Learning PathDocumentary featureLoretta ToddA documentary following three Aboriginal women educators and includes the harrowing experiences that two of the women faced in residential schools. Using a blend of documentary footage, dramatic re-enactments, and archival film, the film brings together the life stories of three unsung heroines who are helping to restore Aboriginal control over education.1991Violation of TrustNews magazine episodeThe Fifth EstateA documentary about Canada's worst-kept secret, examining the lives of residential school survivors, along with stories of abuse. 1992 Sleeping Children Awake Documentary short Rhonda Kara Hanah Inspired by Shirley Cheechoo's 1991 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 Documentary short Gryphon Productions Ltd. A documentary about the legacy of residential schools, looking at the work of the Cariboo Tribal Council in addressing the impact of residential schools on their people. It touches on the historical background of these schools, though primarily depicting painful personal experiences; the causes of multi-generational grief and healing processes underway in communities today. 1998 Kuper Island: Return to the Healing Circle Documentary short Christine Welsh and Peter C. Campbell Former residents of Kuper Island speak out to break the silence about their experience and trauma of the Kuper Island Indian Residential School. Produced by the National Film Board. 2001 Childhood Lost: The Residential School ExperienceDocumentary short 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 Documentary short 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 Documentary feature Randy N. Bezeau A 93-minute documentary that 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 Documentary feature Louie Lawless A documentary describing the crimes committed in church-run residential schools. Based on his book Hidden from History: The Canadian Holocaust, the film is told through the perspective of the titular Kevin Annett, a former minister who blew the whistle on his own church, after he learned of thousands of murders in its residential schools. 2008 Muffins for Granny Documentary feature Nadia McLaren (Mongrel Media) A 88-minute film by Nadia McLaren, who tells the story of her own grandmother by combining precious home-movie clips with the stories of seven elders dramatically affected by their experiences in residential school. 2008 Stolen Children In-depth TV segmentThe National In this segment 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 issue. 2009 The Experimental Eskimos Documentary featureBarry Greenwald In the early 1960s, the Canadian government conducted an experiment in social engineering, called the "Eskimo Experiment." 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 Documentary short Ron Douglas A 30-minute documentary focusing on Native American families in Western New York and Canada who 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) Documentary short Jobie Weetaluktuk A 26-minute documentary recounting 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 Short film 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 are unsupervised. 2009 Shi-Shi-Etko Short film Kate Kroll A 12-minute fictional short about Shi-Shi-Etko, a girl who 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.2009Against the GrainDocumentary shortCurtis MandevilleA 24-min documentary in which survivors of the Indian residential school system "attempt to cope with its impact on their personal lives and communities." 2012 We Were ChildrenDocumentary feature Tim Wolochatiuk Documentary film about the experiences of survivors Lyna Hart (Guy Hill Residential School) and Glen Anaquod (Lebret Indian Residential School). 2013 Rhymes for Young GhoulsFeature film Jeff Barnaby A fictional film about teenager Aila, who runs a drug crew on her reserve, and is assaulted by an Indian Affairs agent who then detains her in a residential school, where other children are frequently abused. 2016 Secret PathShort film, animated Gord Downie Animated retelling of the story of Chanie Wenjack. 2016 Snip Animated short Terril Calder Story about two time-travelling children who attempt to rescue Chanie Wenjack. 2017 Indian Horse Feature film Stephen Campanelli Adaptation of the 2012 novel Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese; a boy in the residential school system survives and thrives by excelling at ice hockey.2019Great and Sudden Change (Anne with an E, S3)TV episodeMoira Walley-BeckettAdaptation of the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. A fictional story arc involving a young Miꞌkmaq girl forcibly separated from her family and taken to a residential school under false pretences. 2021 Returning Home Documentary Sean Stiller Profile of Phyllis Webstad. 2021 Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair Documentary Alanis Obomsawin Blends excerpts from a speech by Murray Sinclair with testimonies from other Indian residential school survivors. 2022 Bones of Crows Feature film Marie Clements A fictional film about the life of a Cree girl, Aline, who is sent to a residential school along with her siblings. 2023 WaaPaKe Documentary Jules Arita Koostachin Documentary about the ongoing intergenerational effects of the residential school system on not just the direct survivors, but their children and grandchildren.Pat Mullen, "WaaPaKe Review: Healing for a Better Tomorrow". Point of View, October 4, 2023. 2024 Sugarcane (film) Documentary feature Julian Brave NoiseCat Emily Kassie An investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school in Canada ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.
Published texts