The Dark Legacy of Boarding Schools in Canada and the United States

How One Actress is Amplifying the Story of Indigenous Trauma

Lily Gladstone, an actress and activist, remembers the day she first heard about the discovery of over 200 unmarked graves at Kamloops Indian Residential School in Canada. She was in the midst of filming Martin Scorsese’s "Killers of the Flower Moon," a film about the atrocities committed against the Osage Nation in the 1920s.

"I remember Leo DiCaprio texting me, asking in all caps and exclamations and question marks, ‘What the hell is this?’ Gladstone exclusively tells VF over Zoom. She remembers how she responded to her bewildered costar: "It really is nothing new to us."

A Shared Legacy of Trauma

Just as the Osage were being targeted by a murderous conspiracy bent on taking their oil-rich land, First Nations children in Canada were being separated from their families and sent to boarding schools like Kamloops Indian Residential School, which operated from 1890 to 1978. There, they experienced forced assimilation, abuse, and often worse.

The Importance of Raising Awareness

Gladstone is now an executive producer on "Sugarcane," a documentary that delves into the aftermath of the discovery of the unmarked graves and the lives of First Nation survivors of Canada’s boarding schools. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury award for directing. Since then, it has been acquired by National Geographic and played at film festivals across the country.

A Personal Connection

The film is deeply personal for Gladstone, as both a member of the Blackfeet tribe and an artist. Before her success in film and television, she was a theater artist and activist, starring in a one-woman educational show about the Indigenous boarding school experience.

"You’re not going to find any Indigenous person in North America, Canada, the US, elsewhere, or really Indigenous people worldwide that didn’t go through some kind of program like this," she says. "It’s the second wave of colonization."

Q&A

Q: What inspired you to get involved with "Sugarcane"?
A: I was moved by the stories of the First Nation survivors of Canada’s boarding schools, and I wanted to help amplify their voices and experiences.

Q: What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
A: I hope they understand the horror and trauma that Indigenous people have faced and continue to face, and I hope they recognize the ongoing impact of colonization on our communities.

Q: How does your own experience as a Native American influence your work?
A: As a member of the Blackfeet tribe, I have a deep understanding of the struggles and traumas faced by Indigenous communities. I’m grateful to be in a position to use my platform to raise awareness and advocate for change.

Q: What do you hope to achieve with your work?
A: I want to use my platform to challenge systemic racism and to advocate for Indigenous rights. I hope to inspire others to do the same, and to bring about greater understanding and unity between different cultures and communities.