Documentary 'Sugarcane' Exposes Legacy of Residential Schools

The film investigates the impact of St. Joseph’s Mission residential school on Indigenous communities, featuring personal narratives and a call for accountability.

• Sugarcane, a documentary directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, confronts the legacy of residential schools in North America, focusing on the notorious St. Joseph’s Mission residential school near Sugarcane Reserve in Canada.
• The film explores the impact of these schools on Indigenous communities, particularly the Williams Lake First Nation, and investigates the discovery of unmarked graves near St. Joseph’s.
• The documentary features personal narratives, including that of co-director Julian Brave NoiseCat and his father, who was born under devastating circumstances at St. Joseph’s.
• Former Chief Rick Gilbert, a survivor of St. Joseph’s abuse, remains a devout Catholic and struggles to process that his father might have been one of the priests at the school.
• The film emphasizes the need for action and accountability, highlighting the work of Charlene Belleau and Willie Sellars, who are part of the Williams Lake First Nation team investigating the crimes committed at St. Joseph’s.

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