Exploring Historical Issues Facing Indigenous People: Comparative Film Review and Acts of Reconcilia

Reflecting on Historical Issues Facing Indigenous People in Canada

In this assignment you have the opportunity to explore in greater depth historical issues facing Indigenous people in Canada. You will examine those issues in relation to what you learned in the assigned readings for this unit. You will reflect on how these issues could inform the actions that you take toward reconciliation. Comparative Film Review Your assignment is to prepare an audio/video review (3-5 minutes) comparing TWO of the films listed below. Your review must address all of the following questions: What is the main focus of each film? In other words: What is each film about? What are the filmmakers trying to say? How do they say it? What are the most significant historical issues, people, and/or events raised in the films? How are these addressed? Tip: It may be interesting to discuss two films which address similar issues, but there is no requirement to do so. You might discuss two films on completely different issues. How does the focus of each film reflect, engage, or compare with themes and issues raised in the assigned readings? How does the knowledge gained from these films (AND the textbook) inform the way you think about reconciliation? How will this knowledge shape your actions? Tip: This is an important question! This may even be the question around which you organize your review. I.e., your focus could be an argument about how these films shape the way you think about Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Acts of Reconciliation What does an "act" of reconciliation look like? Reconciliation may take many different forms. Some acts are simple and easy to do. Others challenge our commitment to reconciliation and force us to more deeply consider what reconciliation really means. For a list of 150 concrete actions, see: Crystal Fraser and Sara Komarnisky, "150 Acts of Reconciliation for the Last 150 Days of Canada's 150," Activehistory.ca, August 4, 2017, http://activehistory.ca/2017/08/150-acts-of-reconciliation-for-the-last-150-days-of-canadas-150/, accessed March 22, 2021. Formatting Options In keeping with Indigenous traditions of oral culture, I would like you to respond to the questions with an oral presentation. All submissions must be uploaded via Kaltura (see "how-to" video below). The presentation can be created in a number of ways depending on your comfort and ability: A video presentation (i.e., you talking to the camera). An audio presentation (same as above, but with camera turned off). A multimedia presentation (e.g., narrated PowerPoint or a screen-share presentation recorded in Zoom or another program). How to embed a Kaltura video in eLearn... Film Options Warning: Many of the films listed below contain disturbing or otherwise difficult content and potential triggers. Some films deal directly with issues of violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and other challenging subjects. They all deal with the impacts of colonialism. If you need counselling support, please contact Counselling Services or call one of the other numbers listed on their website. If you need immediate help, contact the folks at Here2Talk , BC's mental health service, which has support available in several languages. Click a link to have a look at the online description for each of the following films and then choose TWO as the basis of your review. If you would like to discuss your choices, or you want some guidance on which films might best fit your interests, just let me know! The films are grouped into categories to make the list easier to navigate, but by no means do you need to choose two films from the same category. Residential Schools, Sixties Scoop & History of Childhood Alanis Obomsawin, We Can't Make the Same Mistake Twice (National Film Board of Canada, 2016),