Indigenous elders, grandfathers and grandmothers who once attended Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford will head to Los Angeles next week for the world premiere of a new documentary, The Nature of Healing, screening March 8 at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, California.
The film is an official selection at the 14th Native Women in Film Festival.
Elder John Elliott, grandmothers Dawn and Roberta Hill, Sherlene Bomberry, and artist Shelley Clark, all of Six Nations of the Grand River will attend the premiere.
In the film, grandfather Jimmie Edgar of Baawating (Sault Saint Marie) and Elder Blanche Hill-Easton of Six Nations of the Grand River each share their story, recount childhood abuse history at the residential school, and walk viewers through their healing journeys.
The experiences of the seven survivors in this full-length documentary hope to empower every child, parent, grandmother, and community who were and still are affected by the intentional genocide of the “Indian” at Residential Schools.
The film also provides answers for those who are uneducated about the historic impact on Indigenous Peoples.
“I have so many, and so few words about this film, as this time is to listen,” director Faith Howe said in a press release. “I invite you to watch the courage shown on the screen as these exceptional individuals share what they bravely felt compelled to share. Sit for 80 minutes and really listen. Witness the search for answers as these Elders and Grandmothers come to terms with the abuse they suffered. Despite the horrors of childhood, they lead us to pathways of healing. I hope we are all moved by their grace.”
The Mohawk Institute was Canada’s first and longest-running “Indian Residential School,” operated by the Canadian Government and the Anglican Church, housing approximately 15,000 Indigenous children for 140 years.
The tracking, luring, and kidnapping of children spanned more than 60 communities and four provinces.
Visit Jam Lab Productions for more information about the film.
