This weekend we have a movie event happening. Saturday September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It recognizes the tragic legacy of residential schools, the missing children, the families left behind and the survivors of these institutions. In keeping with the day, I have brought in the movie Bones of Crows. It has been expressed to me that this is more than just a movie. Bones of Crows will show Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Sept 29, 30 & Oct 1) at 8:00 PM each night. BONES OF CROWS is told through the eyes of Cree Matriarch Aline Spears as she survives a childhood in Canada’s residential school system to continue her family’s generational fight in the face of systemic starvation, racism, and sexual abuse. She uses her uncanny ability to understand and translate codes into working for a special division of the Canadian Air Force as a Cree code talker in World War II. The story unfolds over 100 years with a cumulative force that propels us into the future.
When I was growing up in Saskatchewan no mention was ever made about residential schools. I had no idea what they were, or the fact that the last one closed in 1996. I did not understand the generational trauma that was created by the implementation of these schools. Being a teacher, I have had some opportunity to begin learning about residential schools, but I still have lots to learn and understand. One person that spoke to us about residential schools explained that they don’t need my apology for residential schools. They want my acknowledgement about what happened.
It was explained to me this way…. If your neighbor’s family was terrorized and their property was stolen by someone, your neighbor doesn’t want you to apologize for what happened. You weren’t the one who did it. But they would like you to acknowledge their hardship and to be able to empathize with them. This movie will hopefully help you understand what has happened to our neighbors. I have brought in this movie in coordination with the Tisdale Reconciliation group. The Beeland Co-op has also come on as a sponsor of the event for Friday Sept 29th. Before the movie on Friday evening we are going to have a short introduction from the Tisdale Reconciliation group and a prayer. After the movie on Friday we hope to have a debrief with someone in place who can answer questions you may have, if you wish to stick around. On all 3 nights, we will have pamphlets to help answer questions you may have. I really believe that this is an important event for our community and I hope everyone can make it. Please note that this movie can be very emotional to watch and can be triggering for some people. This movie is not rated but it contains Violence. Sexual Content, Profanity and Alcohol/Drug Use. This is not a good movie for younger children. Reviews for this movie have been very positive. Richard Crouse (from CTV News) says, “It is a story of hard truths, told with skill—despite its sprawling nature, it doesn’t feel bloated—and emotion that gets to the heart of how generational trauma forever altered the lives of the characters.” Runtime: 2h 7m
Trailer: https://youtu.be/qFbvLYFZbxM?si=tR3uXUh3frTIGPOu