Cariboo RD Library to screen 'We Were Children'

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District:

The Cariboo Regional District Library will be hosting a screening of the National Film Board documentary We Were Children in the Gibraltar Room of the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex in Williams Lake on Friday, June 21. Doors will be open at 6:30 p.m., with the evening starting at 7 p.m. The Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex is located at 525 Proctor Street.

The evening will start with a selection of short videos created as part of the St. Joseph's Mission Residential School Commemoration project, including Tiffany Boston’s What is Reconciliation and Sadie Johnson’s Survivors of Alkali Lake.

Maisie Wright will be speaking on behalf of the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, and Marilyn Charleyboy from Denisiqi Services Society will also be speaking.

The feature documentary, We Were Children, directed by Tim Wolochatiuk, focuses on the impact of residential schools on its survivors. For over 130 years till 1996, more than 100,000 of Canada's First Nations children were required to attend one of 80 government funded schools across the country run by various Christian faiths. There were 80 of these 'residential schools' across the country. Most children were sent to faraway schools that separated them from their families and traditional land. Told through their own voices, We Were Children is the true story of two such children: Glen Anaquod and Lyna Hart. Due to the emotional and traumatic nature of the documentary, parental discretion is strongly advised.

Funding for this event was graciously donated by the Williams Lake and District Credit Union Community Investment Grant.

We Were Children will also be screened in the CRD’s 100 Mile House library on Thursday, June 20 at 6 p.m. The library is located at 449 Birch Avenue in 100 Mile House. Admission for both events is free.