Education
RCtv: Honouring Truth and Reconciliation
Join us for a nationwide conversation reflecting on Canada’s legacy of Indian Residential Schools and pathways towards reconciliation. Showcasing the powerful short documentary by legendary Abenaki filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, the programme involves three simple steps:
- Watch Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair with your class between April 3 and April 17
- Join the discussion with special guests on Wednesday, April 17 (see time below)
- Ask questions through our online platform
The programme also includes lesson plans, sensitivity support resources, extension activities, and access to the film – all completely FREE OF CHARGE.
Can’t make the date? You can still watch an interactive recording any time afterwards.
more details
- A great opportunity to participate in National Canadian Film Day
- Ideal for students in Grades 9-12.
- Presented in English, with a French-subtitled version available after the live event.
- Suitable for in-class or remote learning.
about the guests
Filmmaker
Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)
Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki) is one of the most acclaimed Indigenous directors in the world and has made 65 documentaries on issues affecting Indigenous people in Canada. For over five decades, her films have showcased and celebrated Indigenous voices while bringing attention to Canada’s colonial history and making a profound impact on Canada’s path toward reconciliation.
A revered figure among documentary filmmakers and in Indigenous communities, Alanis Obomsawin is a Companion of the Order of Canada, and a recipient of the Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award, among many other honours.
Her award-winning filmography includes Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, Trick or Treaty?, Our People Will Be Healed and Incident at Restigouche. In November 2023, the NFB launched Alanis Obomsawin: A Legacy, an exclusive 12-disc box set featuring 28 new and classic films curated by Obomsawin herself.
Host
Kelly Boutsalis (Mohawk)
Kelly Boutsalis is a Mohawk freelance journalist from the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. Currently living in Toronto, she devotes the bulk of her work to highlighting Indigenous stories in film, television, fashion and beyond. Her byline has appeared in the New York Times, Vogue, Toronto Star, Toronto Life, and the Walrus. She led the CBC Six Nations pop-up bureau earlier this year. She is also Programmer, International, Canadian features for the Toronto International Film Festival.
About the Film
As the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Senator Murray Sinclair is a key figure in raising global awareness of the atrocities of Canada’s residential school system. Master documentarian Alanis Obomsawin blends Senator Sinclair’s thought-provoking acceptance speech from his WFM-Canada World Peace Award with powerful testimonies of survivors of the residential school system.
With determination, wisdom and kindness, Senator Sinclair provides a clear and nuanced explanation of the residential school system and its profound ongoing impacts, and asserts that actual reconciliation requires accepting these difficult truths about Canada’s past and present. The film reminds us to honour the lives and legacies of those affected, lays out avenues for real change, and ultimately leaves us with a profound feeling of hope for a better future.
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For questions or more information, reach out to [email protected]
or 1-888-508-0881 ext. 228.