‘Rise Against Racism’ talk, film excerpt planned for NB library

Whelan Bonaise, BATC program coordinator, said the aim of the talk is to educate non-First Nations about Indian Residential Schools (IRS).

“This is a crucial time regarding reconciliation, because it directly relates to racism, and the rise against racism. We’re trying to bridge that gap,” he said. “It’s basically to let people know what we’ve been through.”

Bonaise noted he is only 47 years old and was also raised in a residential school, at Duck Lake.

During the event, Indigenous filmmaker Floyd Favel will show a little bit of his new documentary film called The Good Fathers, about Delmas Residential School.

“It’s an excerpt of a film in progress,” Favel said. “It follows our research into Delmas Residential School, focusing on a few case studies of families and their ancestors who attended the school.”

The film looks at the impact and history of the residential school, and the issue of missing relatives and unmarked graves.

The work, directed by Favel and written by the research team on the project, is expected to be released in August.

The discussion to follow the film clip will look at ways to “walk forward to strengthen communities in the Battlefords.”

“[The forum] is tied into eliminating racism,” Favel said. “For example, the residential school experience for our people was all based on racism and colonialism, of the Canadians feeling superior, looking down upon the Indigenous people and feeling they could do whatever they wanted, having an absolute power over a disadvantaged people. We all know what having absolute power does – usually it turns bad. That’s what happened in those cases. We were under a Pass System, where we couldn’t leave the reserves unless we had a pass. The school was basically jail, where you were released; you couldn’t leave of your own will. It was federal law to attend these schools, and if you left, you were chased down and brought back.”

Favel noted the whole province of Saskatchewan was built on racism.

“I believe by showing our film in progress, we address some of the roots or symptoms of racism that is slowly being corrected in today’s era of healing and reconciliation,” he said.

Also participating in the talk will be residential school survivor Isabelle Weenie, from Poundmaker Cree Nation, who will discuss her experiences.

Bonaise said the residential school experience is a very sensitive topic for people to talk about, because “they don’t want to remember that.”

“They want to move on or put that past them,” he said. “With her [Weenie], she has the strength and courage to bring out the story to share, and inform people of what she’s been through. Rather than people learning from TV or a book, or the news, you have a first-hand survivor that’s willing to share her experience.”

Also, during the night, Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie will share his words.

The event will also include free soup and bannock for guests to enjoy.

“We want any walks of life to come on out. Just come and share,” Bonaise said.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @battlefordsnow

by Angela Brown

‘Rise Against Racism’ talk, film excerpt planned for NB library

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