Education
Indigenous Realities
Honouring Truth and Reconciliation
Indigenous Realities: Honouring Truth and Reconciliation focuses on Canada’s legacy of Indian Residential Schools and pathways for reconciliation.
It includes access to the moving short documentary Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair, a 64-minute conversation with legendary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki), a lesson plan and support resources.
The accompanying lesson plan explores history, legacy, and truth & reconciliation.
This national conversation, recorded on April 17, 2024, remains relevant, powerful, and interactive for students watching today.
Learn more about the film and special guest speakers below.
This Resource Is:
- Free of charge
- Interactive with student polls, discussion boards and more
- Suitable for Grades 9-12
- Presented in English, with a French-subtitled version available
About the film
Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair
As the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Senator Murray Sinclair was 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.
about the guests
Please note: Guest biographies reflect their roles and achievements at the time of recording.
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.
Learn more about this programme
Order Now
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.