Richard Wagamese’ award-winning novel Indian Horse is being taught in thousands of Canadian classrooms, with over 65,000 copies of the book in circulation. April 13, 2018, the story of Saul Indian Horse will be coming to theatres near you! Indian Horse tells an important story that Canadians need to hear, and which fits in with the curriculum the current government has mandated for educational institutions in this country by adopting the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Indian Horse in Schools: We are calling on Educators to join us to launch the film!
In late 1950s Ontario, eight year-old Saul Indian Horse is torn from his Ojibway family and committed to one of Canada’s notorious Catholic residential schools. Denied the freedom to speak his language or embrace his indigenous heritage Saul witnesses all kinds of abuse at the hands of the very people who were entrusted with his care. Despite this, Saul finds comfort and fascination in the unlikeliest of places and favourite Canadian pastimes — hockey. His talent leads him away from the misery of the school to a Northern Ontario native league and eventually the pros. But the ghosts of Saul’s past will always haunt him.
Empathy, understanding, compassion.
For First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in Canada this story is both deeply familiar and current. The book and the film provide an opportunity for educators to enact the TRC recommendation to engage with students who may be learning this history for the first time. The book and the film taught together will be a powerful tool for transformation. Through this project, our hope is to build understanding in non-Indigenous Canadians about why things look the way they do for Indigenous Peoples today. The educational component being created in tandem with this film launch will provide much-needed resources to discuss this history in a safe and culturally relevant way.
Download the educator flyer for Indian Horse.
Download a Drawing Wisdom flyer about our work creating educational resources for this film and other projects.
