Helena K.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver Heritage Fair

The Dark Legacy

My video is on the Canadian Residential school system. I focused on the impacts of the schools. Something I found shocking was that before I did this project I had no idea that this had even happened.

 

 

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

The most interesting thing I have learned is how long-lasting the impacts of residential schools have been, because aside from ruining the childhood of the people who attended them, residential schools affected generations of Indigenous people.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

I've learned the impacts of residential schools and how terrible they were. I've learned how many people were involved in residential schools and that many Canadians were oblivious to the negative effects of residential schools.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

The lives of former residential school students were and are heavily impacted for the worse. My education is much better than the education they received and they were taken away from their parents at a young age whilst I can rely on my parents to care for me.