“They call us by number...”
Warnings: descriptions of physical abuse. This short film can be used as an entry point for discussion, research and projects relating to residential schools. How did colonization policies like residential schools attempt to destroy Indigenous Peoples’ culture? What were the purposes of residential schools and what are the short- and long-term (intergenerational) impacts on individuals, families and communities? After learning about the horrific treatment Indigenous children faced at residential schools, describe the ethical and moral values of perpetrators who abused children at an individual and social level. Does the legacy of residential schools continue to impact Canadian society? What influenced the closure of the schools? How are individuals, communities and organizations working to enable healing and reconciliation? What are qualities of resilience and how can society take part in action initiatives that support reconciliation?