Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS) will mark National Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30 by premiering a new documentary called "For Love" which is narrated by Canadian singer Shania Twain.
The film will debut at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
The movie investigates the tragic legacy of residential schools and the connection to the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in the foster care system.
"The horrors of residential schools are finally starting to be understood by non-Indigenous Canadians," said producer Mary Teegee, who is also the executive director of CSFS, which serves 11 member Nations in northern B.C. and has 190 staff members from Prince George to Burns Lake.
"In this film, we meet the survivors, their families and the communities that have been devastated by the government's child welfare systems. But we also witness their resilience and the rebuilding of family bonds and rich cultures."
CSFS was founded in the late 1980s when the Elders and leaders of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council decided it was time that social and health issues were brought to the forefront. It began by employing eight people to help Carrier families navigate the child welfare system.
The non-profit was officially established in 1990 and now provides social, legal, and health services to First Nations people living in remote and urban areas in northern Carrier and Sekani Territories.
The film was produced by CSFS's production company Walk Tall Productions and was co-written and produced by Teegee and director Matt Smiley.
It tells the stories of Indigenous people throughout Canada and shines a light on what is happening right now.
It details the horrors of the past and reveals how Indigenous communities are taking back jurisdictional control of their children in order to ensure that their unique and diverse cultures are preserved for generations to come.
