Treaties Recognition Playlist

Jump to individual videos within the playlist at the bottom of the page, or go to another playlist from the "View All Playlists" menu at the top right. The keyword search box at the top right will search within the titles and descriptions of all the videos in all playlists available. The episode lengths range from 11 to 98 minutes, are in English, and are closed captioned. This playlist includes (descriptive text from resource): A Requiem for the Canadian Dream: A Requiem for the Canadian Dream is a new short documentary film by LeMay Media. The film explores the history and impact of the Canadian residential school system through a collection of interviews with some of Canada's most influential Indigenous leaders. Beautifully shot with a haunting soundtrack. A Requiem for the Canadian Dream provides valuable insights into the Canadian residential school experience and shines a light into this dark chapter of Canadian history. Includes key interviews with First Nation leaders and educators Shawn Atleo, Dr. Mike Degagné, Dr. Marie Wilson, and Phil Fontaine. A Way of Living Developed Over Millennia: Edmund Metatawabin - The Green Interview Series: The oldest of 11 children, Edmund Metatawabin - the last name means "Ten Sunrises," was born and raised in the valley of the Kistachowan Sipi, re-named in English as the Fort Albany River, in northern Ontario. His family lived as the Mushkegowuk (Lowlands Cree) had lived for millennia, and for the first seven years of his life Edmund spent his winters on an inland tributary and his summers on the shore of Winipek (James Bay). At eight, he was taken from his family and placed in the St. Anne's Residential School in Peetabeck (Fort Albany). An Overview of Residential Schools in Canada (Educator's Package): First Nations people have lived in this country for many thousands of years. They were here long before anyone else. In the 16th century, European explorers and missionaries began making their way to Canada. Many of these people worked with the native people, learning from them and helping them. However, the Europeans also brought with them diseases like smallpox, tuberculosis and measles. Native people had never been in contact with these germs and many thousands died as a result. As the British and French governments took more control, aboriginal people began to lose their culture and the land they needed for their way of life. A series of treaties, acts and reports set in motion the establishment of a system of residential schools. These schools were funded by the government and run by churches. The government believed Aboriginal Canadians should learn English or French and adopt Christianity and Canadian customs. They didn’t think that aboriginal culture was important in the modern world. They hoped that native traditons and culture would eventuallydisappear. The government believed children were easier to change than adults so they set up this system of schools. Education was a way to “assimilate” the children – to make them behave and think more like the Europeans who were taking over Canada. Residential schools had a lasting impact on First Nations individuals, families and communites. The children who returned home brought with them the various abuses they experienced. That has affected their families and communites for generations. Children came home lonely, depressed and scared. Many had died without ever seeing their parents again. This program gives students an overview of the residential school system in Canada. Combining archival footage with residential school survivor interviews, students will learn why and how the schools were established, the effect of treaties on aboriginal life, the impact of residential schools on future generations,what life was like for children in these schools, and an appreciation of aboriginal culture and history. Educator's Package Includes: Video, 32 page teacher's resource guide in digital format, complete with vocabulary list, viewing suggestions, numerous student activity sheets and event timeline. Also includes four BONUS segments: Nunavut: Food and supplies, The Witness Blanket, Chief Robert Joseph, and Shannen's Dream. Etthén Heldeli: Caribou Eaters: Etthén Heldeli: Caribou Eaters travels with Déné First Nations people in Canada’s north, as they search for the species so vital to every aspect of their lives – the barren-ground caribou. The documentary is a celebration of their rich ancient culture, and a visual document lamenting their traditions that could vanish, if the caribou disappear. The program follows Déné people as they hunt, harvest, butcher, feast, and celebrate the caribou, an iconic species that has sustained and defined their people for thousands of years. Learning About Treaties in Canada: Aboriginal people lived in Canada long before European settlers and explorers arrived here. They lived in harmony with their environment and cared for the land and water they depended on for survival. The concept of land ownership was foreign to them. The arrival of Europeans had a drastic impact on their lives. In Learning About Treaties in Canada, elementary students will come to understand the circumstances that led to the process of treaty making including the fur trade, western and northern expansion, and the 7 Year War. Treaties are compared to promises or solemn covenants. We begin to understand how their negotiation was flawed and how First Nation peoples lives were affected not only in the past, but also how the process still impacts the First Nations community today. From award-winning Métis filmmaker Matt LeMay. (Includes: DVD, PDF Teacher’s Resource Guide and Student Worksheets.) Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women in Canada: Violence against women is a significant issue in society. According to the World Health Organization, it affects one third of women around the world. Violence against women is also a serious issue in Canada, unfortunately. One particular group of Canadian women merit special attention: Indigenous women and girls in Canada experience a scale and severity of violence that constitutes a national human rights crisis. The issue of violence against aboriginal women and girls is a systematic one with deep roots in sexism, poverty and racism. To properly address the situation, one must understand the history and impact of colonization on Aboriginal peoples in Canada. There has been a cycle of trauma and abuse brought on by residential schools, and by the 60s Scoop - where large numbers of aboriginal children were forcibly taken into the child welfare system. Government and church have interfered with First Nations traditional practices for over 500 years. This informative video gives an overview of the history of trauma and abuse experienced by Aboriginal women in Canada. We trace its roots from early colonialism in Canada to recent actions by the Canadian government, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the release of the RCMP report on Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women in Canada. Profound Lessons from Indigenous Law: John Borrows - The Green Interview Series: John Borrows is one of Canada's most prolific and celebrated legal scholars and a professor of law at the University of Minnesota. He has written and spoken widely on aboriginal legal rights and traditions, treaties and land claims, and religion and the law. He's also Anishinaabe, a member of the Neyaashiinigmiing community, the Cape Croker First Nation on Bruce Peninsula in North-Western Ontario. Well steeped in both traditions of law, Borrows is uniquely positioned to reflect on the essential nature of law itself. Residential Schools: Truth and Reconciliation in Canada (Educator's Package): Indian Residential Schools are a part of our shared history in Canada. Prior to European contact, First Nations people had their own education system, governing system, beliefs and customs. While some positive alliances were established, the arrival of missionaries and others kicked off a systematic attack on the traditional customs and culture of native communites. Through a series of government proclamations, acts and treaties, aboriginal groups across the country began to lose the land they depended on for survival. A major part of the treaty agreements was the establishment of a good education system for aboriginal children. As momentum for settlement of the west and the building of a national railway grew, so did the Canadian governments need to fulfill the obligations of these treaties. In 1883, Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald authorized the creation of three “industrial schools.” Thus began the misguided attempt “to kill the Indian in the child.” Between 1879 and 1986, at least 150,000 aboriginal children in Canada - almost a third of aboriginal children -were forcibly removed and placed into Indian Residential Schools. The assault on Aboriginal identity began the moment children took their first step across the school’s threshold. Their unique culture was stripped away tobe replaced with a foreign European identity. Their family ties were cut, clothes replaced, and children were prevented from returning home. The telling of Canada’s history is not complete without this story. Some refer to it as a “cultural genocide.”Generations upon generations of aboriginal people have been affected by the abuse and horrors experienced in these schools.The Truth and Reconciliation Summary that was undertaken as an element of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement outlines 94 recommendations for achieving a full reconciliation between Canada’s nativeand non-native people’s. Interweaving archival footage with poignant interviews, this video, accompanying resource material and bonusmaterial gives students, teachers and administrators an overview of the history and subsequent impact of residential schools in Canada - a timeline of events and crucial moments. It is the story of our first people. It is the story of their struggle to live in Canada. And it is a somewhat modern day story. Many of these people still live among us today. This program will help viewers begin to understand part of that story. Educator's Package Includes: Video, 32 page teacher's resource guide in digital format, complete with vocabulary list, viewing suggestions, numerous student activity sheets and event timeline. Also includes four BONUS segments: Justice Murray Sinclair: Survivors Speak Out, Paul Martin: Power Play, Marie Wilson: Healing Decades - Old Wounds, and The 60s Scoop. The History of Treaties in Canada: From the Royal Proclamation of 1763 to the implementation of the modern-day Algonquin land claim, The History of Treaties in Canada explores the history, application and legacy of these foundational legal documents and how they continue to shape and define the often strained relationships between First Nations and the Crown in Canada. Written and produced by award-winning Métis filmmaker Matt LeMay. The Impact of Colonialism in Canada: Prior to the arrival of Europeans, First Nations people were a richly diversified, self-sufficient culture living in various areas of Canada. Much of that changed with the arrival of the first Europeans. Colonization is the action or process of settling and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area disconnecting them from the land, their history, their identity and their rights so that others benefit. It is a basic form of injustice, and has been condemned as a practice by the United Nations. In this new production from award-winning Métis filmmaker Matt LeMay, we explore the history and consequences of the Canadian Government attempting to assimilate Canada’s Indigenous population. We explore the Indian Act, the establishment of the Canadian Residential School system, broken treaty promises, and the 60’s scoop. This video will educate the viewer as to why so many of Canada’s First Nation communities face serious sociological and economic challenges. The Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick: Maker of Monsters gives an intimate look into the life of one of Canada’s greatest artists. The late Beau Dick was a Kwakwaka’wakw carver from Alert Bay, a small remote village on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. His remarkable masks have been celebrated across the global art scene as vibrant expressions of West Coast Indigenous culture and a sophisticated crossover into the contemporary art world. Dick had an unprecedented ability to tap into the collective memory of his people and breathe new life into age - old traditions. This film strives to capture the essence of Beau Dick and his mysterious enigma as an artist who symbolized Canada’s history with the Indigenous and the ethical dilemmas faced in reconciling with that colonialist history. Beau was able to use his celebrity to call attention to the injustices done to his people and the environment. Even in his activism, Beau relied on his culture to inform him how to be political. He didn’t simply stage protests; he enacted ancient ceremonies, creating a public display infused with spirituality. He challenged the Canadian government, chief-to-chief, on his own terms and by using traditional Kwakwaka’wakw political protocol, with minor adjustments for the contemporary situation. The film also examines how the Canadian government banned potlatches for their purportedly wasteful use of property, yet the film shows the event’s significance as a marker of resistance. The film sees Beau Dick roused by the spirit of the Idle No More movement as Indigenous people of the land refused to stay silent on the abuse of rights and land claims in the wake of then-Prime Minister Harper’s stagnant pledge for reconciliation. Footage shows Dick as he leads a crowd of supporters on “Awalaskenis,” a journey of hope and unity that marched along Vancouver Island. The march ended at parliament where Dick performed the long dormant act of breaking a shield of copper. This tradition is an Indigenous ritual offering a direct challenge to authority and Dick’s resurrection of the act after it was last performed over 100 years ago signaled a demand for change. In reaching into his past, the stories of the Kwakwaka’wakw nations are also brought to the forefront; their rich history, their dramatic mythology, and the deep scars left by colonialism. Weaving together the personal and cultural until both become inseparable, Maker of Monsters presents an artist who succeeded in reconciling the two. The Signing of Treaties Four and Six: Thunder Breeding Hills Series: By 1879, the buffalo population was dwindling fast. As a result, life changed for First Nations groups. They had no choice but to turn to the Canadian Government for assistance. The government offered to settle them on reserves in return for the title of their lands. A treaty was signed and the First Nation cycle of life was forever changed. Truth and Reconciliation: The Legacy of Residential Schools in Canada: This program examines the history, legacy and current impacts of the Residential School experience in Canada. From the establishment of the early Residential Schools to the work of the Trusth and Reconciliation Commission, this film shines a light into this dark chapter of Canadian history. Written and directed by multiple award winning Métis filmmaker Matt LeMay, this poignant documentary features interviews with Phil Fontaine, Shawn Atleo, Dr. Marie Wilson, Dr. Mike Degagne, and Martha Marsden.