29 - Sugarcane by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss the National Geographic documentary Sugarcane, which investigates the legacy of St. Joseph’s Mission residential school in Canada. Prompted by the discovery of unmarked graves at former school sites, the film follows members of the Williams Lake First Nation, including Julian Brave Noisecat and his father Ed, as they search for truth about what happened to children forced to attend the school. Through survivor testimony, archival material, and difficult conversations within families and communities, the documentary reveals the profound and ongoing consequences of the residential school system, where Indigenous children were separated from their families in an attempt to erase their culture. While Sugarcane does not shy away from the horrors of the system, including abuse, missing children, and institutional cover-ups, it also highlights resilience, cultural reclamation, and the long process of healing and accountability within Indigenous communities. Content & Spoiler Warning:Child sexual abuse, institutional abuse, infanticide, unmarked graves, suicide, cultural erasure, genocide, and systemic racism connected to the residential school system in Canada. We also spoil Sugarcane. Palate CleanserNeed something a little lighter?Heated Rivalry – surprisingly moving hockey romance Sugarcane transcriptThe Office - or introduce your favourite old sitcom to your kids.Recommendations:Podcasts:Surviving St. Michael’s (Connie Walker) – Deep investigation into abuse at another residential school. Finding Cleo (also Connie Walker) -Explores ripple effects of residential schools through the story of one family. Behind the Bastards – Canada’s Darkest Secret: Residential Schools (2020 episode) Historica podcast - Residential SchoolsTelevision & FilmReservation Dogs – funny and heartwarming series about Indigenous teenagers The Lost Women of Highway 20 – Explores cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women. The Last Ice – A National Geographic documentary about Inuit communities and environmental change. Newsies for shining a light on people who are being abusedRabbit-Proof Fence – about Australia’s Stolen Generations, another example of forced child removal. The Sapphires – A lighter film about an Indigenous singing group touring Vietnam during the war. Spotlight and The Keepers – More investigations into abuse by the Catholic Church. 1923 (Yellowstone spinoff) – Includes a storyline about a young Indigenous woman at a residential school. BooksThe Only Good Indians and The Buffalo Hunter Hunter – Horror novels by Stephen Graham Jones The Broken Girls – A paranormal boarding-school mystery by Simone St. James. We Survive the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat – A blend of memoir, Indigenous history, and storytelling. Homework for Next EpisodeWatch: West of MemphisOur next episode will feature our first guest, Gillian Pensavalle from True Crime Obsessed and The Hamilcast to discuss the West Memphis Three, and the ongoing fight for their full exoneration.Then, back to horror with Sinners, featuring Choctaw vampire hunters and 16 Academy Award nominations!Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify).