Walpole filmmaker shares residential school survivors stories

Walpole Island First Nation filmmaker Derek Sands knew the stories of some school residential survivors long before he got to share their experiences in a documentary.

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Sands was at Ursuline College Chatham Catholic secondary school Friday where he showed a second-cut version of his film, Gaa-zhaabwiijg Survivors, recounting the stories of 10 Walpole residential school survivors.

Sands, whose father, grandmother and great aunt were all survivors, “grew up learning their stories and their journey with residential schools,” he said.

At first, his family didn’t talk about these traumatic experiences, “but then more and more, they started to open up,” he added.

His family came to trust him with their stories and three years ago, he was approached by other Walpole survivors to make the film, he said. “I thought that was such a great honor, because I wanted to anyway.”

Having heard his relatives’ accounts and filmed the stories of other survivors, Sands recognized how resilient, strong and humble they are.

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“They’re really, really amazing people,” he said. “I look up to them.”

Telling survivors’ stories is so important “because the younger generations need to understand our history and that’s a big part of our history,” Sands said.

Relating this history on a broader scale is also important to the St. Clair Catholic District school board, which invited Sands to address UCC students ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, on Monday, Sept. 30 .

Cortnee Goure, the board’s Indigenous education lead, said these stories are told throughout the school years to “ensure that students and staff understand the true history of residential schools and its inter-generational impacts.”

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This is done through first-hand learning partnerships, like the one with Sands, who brought residential school survivors’ stories to students through his film, she said.

“Across our board, we ensure students are learning first-hand from survivors and family members of survivors, so they can continue their learning journey,” Goure said.

Students and the board are developing “incredible partnerships” with knowledge keeper, elders, survivors and their families from Walpole Aamjiwnaang and Kettle and Stony Point First Nations and Eelūnaapèewii Lahkèewiit (Delaware Nation in Moraviantown).

Sands hopes hopes Gaa-zhaabwiijg Survivors gets young Indigenous people thinking about their families and community. “I think if they’re connected to that aspect of their lives, there’s more healing,” he said.

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He believes this connection helps them learn to handle their emotions and become future leaders.

Sands also hopes the film inspires them to use their voices and talents.

“My goal with this film is to connect them with what they believe they should be doing as storytellers and creators,” he said.

“Having that authentic voice is a powerful voice that we need,” Sands added. “We want to change the narratives. . . to empower our people and it is happening.”

He plans to add footage to his film that he hopes will make it even more powerful.

There is a part of the film where a survivor is with her family in a video family portrait, he said. “I thought that was such a powerful image that she has her kids with her.”

He wants to reconnect with the other nine survivors featured in the film to include a video portrait of each with their families.

“Once I have that done, I think the film would at a good place to be distributed into film festivals,” he said.

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