Episode Details
Back to EpisodesThey Took the Children: How a Nation Tried to Erase a People
Description
For more than a century, one of the world's most admired democracies carried out a policy that sought to erase Indigenous cultures by removing their children. More than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit boys and girls were taken from their families, stripped of their language, traditions and identity, and sent to residential schools where many endured hunger, abuse, neglect and unimaginable loneliness.
In this deeply moving episode, Keith traces the origins of Canada's residential school system, reveals the political thinking that created it, and explores the devastating human cost that continues to echo through generations. Drawing on survivor testimony, historical records and the remarkable story of Kamloops, he examines one of the darkest chapters in Canadian history with honesty, compassion and historical perspective.
Yet this is not simply a story of tragedy. It is also a story of extraordinary courage. Despite everything that was done to them, Indigenous children whispered their languages in secret, protected their traditions, and carried their cultures forward against overwhelming odds.
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