Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Time: 10:30 am - 4:30 pm
Location: At the Museum, 1055 Marginal Road, Halifax
Language: Presented in English and French
Cost: Included with Museum admission
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, held on September 30th of each year, is a day that honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.
In partnership with the National Film Board of Canada, the Museum will be screening Indigenous-created films throughout the day.
Film schedule:
| Length | Language | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
10:30 am: Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair | 29 minutes | English with French subtitles | As the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Senator Murray Sinclair was a key figure in raising global awareness of the atrocities of Canada’s residential school system. With determination, wisdom and kindness, Senator Sinclair remains steadfast in his belief that the path to actual reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people requires understanding and accepting often difficult truths about Canada’s past and present. Alanis Obomsawin shares the powerful speech the Senator gave when he accepted the WFM-Canada World Peace Award, interspersing the heartbreaking testimonies of former students imprisoned at residential schools. The honouring of Senator Sinclair reminds us to honour the lives and legacies of the tens of thousands of Indigenous children taken from their homes and cultures, and leaves us with a profound feeling of hope for a better future. |
12:00 am: Second Stories – It Had to Be Done | 22 minutes | English with French subtitles | This short documentary explores the legacy of residential schools through the eyes of two extraordinary women who not only lived it, but who, as adults, made the surprising decision to return to the school that had affected their lives so profoundly. This intimate and moving film affirms their strength and dignity in standing up and making a difference on their own terms. Second Stories follows on the heels of the enormously successful First Stories project, which produced 3 separate collections of short films from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Second Stories builds on that success by continuing the training with 3 of the 12 Indigenous filmmakers who delivered such compelling short documentaries. Produced in association with CBC, APTN, SCN, SaskFilm and MANITOBA FILM & SOUND. |
11:22 am: Sisters & Brothers | 3 minutes | French | In a pounding critique of Canada's colonial history, this short film draws parallels between the annihilation of the bison in the 1890s and the devastation inflicted on the Indigenous population by the residential school system. This film is part of Souvenir, a series of four films addressing Indigenous identity and representation by reworking material in the NFB's archives. |
11:25 am: Hebron Relocation | 15 minutes | English with French subtitles | In Hebron Relocation, Holly Andersen explores what makes a place a home as she learns more about her community’s connection to generations of displaced northern Labrador Inuit. |
11:40 am: Waseteg | 6 minutes | English with French subtitles | Waseteg is the story of a young Mi'kmaq girl whose name means “the light from the dawn.” Sadly, her mother dies while giving birth and, though her father works very hard to provide for his family, Waseteg is surrounded by the bitterness and loneliness felt by her sisters. As a young girl, Waseteg looks for solace in nature, and dreams of the stories she’s heard in the village – including one about Walqwan, the mysterious boy living across the river. Eventually, with the gentle care of the boy's grandmother, Waseteg succeeds in finding Walqwan, discovering the Spirit Path, and restoring love to her family. A short story about dreams, courage, identity, creation and embracing our Elders, Waseteg showcases Phyllis Grant's signature style of bold lines, bright colours and simple movements. The film is beautifully narrated by legendary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin. |
11:46 am: Evan’s Drum | 14 minutes | English with French subtitles | In Evan's Drum, an adventurous little boy and his determined mother share a passion for Inuit drumming. |
12:00 pm: Le Chemin Rouge | 15 minutes | French with English subtitles | This short documentary tells the story of Tony Chachai, a young Indigenous man in search of his identity. Moved by the desire to reconnect with his Atikamekw roots, he delivers a touching testimony on the journey that brought him closer to his family and community. On the verge of becoming a father himself, he becomes increasingly aware of the richness of his heritage and celebrates it by dancing in a powwow. This film was produced as part of Tremplin NIKANIK, a competition for francophone First Nations filmmakers in Quebec. |
12:15 pm: Siksikakowan – The Blackfoot Man | 77 minutes | English with French subtitles | Sons, fathers, brothers, cowboys, athletes, dancers, dreamers… Sinakson Trevor Solway reveals the many lives, identities and stories of the boys and men of the historic Blackfeet Confederacy. |
1:32 pm: Some Stories | 8 minutes | English with French subtitles | Some Stories follows a group of Indigenous youth from the Nipissing (Nbisiing) region who meet at the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre and explore the importance and impact of stories in their lives. |
1:40 pm: The Mountain of SGaana | 10 minutes | No dialogue | SGaana's Mountain is a fantastical tale about a young man swept into the spirit world and the young woman who comes to his rescue. In this gem of a dreamlike film, Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter brilliantly interweaves traditional animation with iconic elements of Haida art, brought to life with a rich, evocative palette and stylized effects. |
1:50 pm: Arctic Song | 6 minutes | English with French subtitles – Inuktitut | Arctic Song is a short film of Inuit creation stories expressed through song and animation, based on the original artwork of Inuit artist, storyteller and co-director Germaine Arnattaujuq (Arnaktauyok). |
1:56 pm: Etlinisigu'niet (Bleed Down) | 5 minutes | No dialogue | In five short minutes, this short film destroys any remaining shreds of the myth of a fair and just Canada. Children forced from their homes and sent to residential schools, families examined like livestock in crowded tuberculosis clinics, tainted water and land, poisoned for industry and profit at the cost of Indigenous lives, and the list goes on. But filmmaker Jeff Barnaby's message is clear: We are still here. Featuring the music of Tanya Tagaq. This film is part of Souvenir, a series of four films addressing Indigenous identity and representation by reworking material in the NFB's archives. |
2:01 pm: You are on Indian Land | 36 minutes | English with French subtitles | Released in 1969, this short documentary was one of the most influential and widely distributed productions made by the Indian Film Crew (IFC), the first all-Indigenous unit at the NFB. It documents a 1969 protest by the Kanien’kéhaka (Mohawk) of Akwesasne, a territory that straddles the Canada–U.S. border. When Canadian authorities prohibited the duty-free cross-border passage of personal purchases—a right established by the Jay Treaty of 1794—Kanien’kéhaka protesters blocked the international bridge between Ontario and New York State. Director Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell later became Grand Chief of Akwesasne. The film was formally credited to him in 2017. You Are on Indian Land screened extensively across the continent, helping to mobilize a new wave of Indigenous activism. It notably was shown at the 1970 occupation of Alcatraz. |
2:37 pm: Nechako – It will be a big river again | 90 minutes | English with French subtitles | After seven decades of resistance, two Indigenous nations reach a decisive turning point in their legal battle to restore the Nechako River and their way of life. |
4:07 pm: Feather Fall | 23 minutes | English with French subtitles | In Feather Fall, Indigenous journalist Ossie Michelin reflects on the personal memories and viral images stored on the phone he used to document a pivotal moment of Indigenous resistance. In 2013, while reporting for APTN and covering conflicts from an Indigenous perspective, Michelin captured a photograph that resonated across the globe and became a symbol of resistance. Ten years later, he returns with a film crew to Elsipogtog to reconnect with the community at the heart of the story and explore how the events of that fall have shaped the lives of those involved. The film also examines how Indigenous activism, environmental struggles and media coverage have evolved in the decade since. |