For the same institution to try SO hard with the government to stop the allegations shows something. its not just some fking conspiracy that hes making, and you as a Canadian should consider the evidence presented along with OTHER evidence that you can well easily obtain on your own that the natives went through systematic torture, not just torture. then again, us Canadians love to think of our country as an amazing peacekeeper, who abolished slavery first over the states, and lead many peace keeping missionaries. oh we’re so wonderful..especially with what we do to our own people.

Since the documentary at least CLARIFIED the complexity of it, continue the path toward finding out the truth. it wont take you long to find out that labeling residential schools as “genocide” is not so far-fetched

Truth will prevail

That said, I was really excited when I read the title and short prologue about this documentary, “Unrepentant” by Kevin Annett. The mistreatment and alienation of native aboriginals in Canada is of particular interest to me being a proud Canadian. I was hoping for a well-informed documentary with concrete evidence. The aboriginal segregation which has occurred in Canada has lasting effects that are felt to this very day. Keeping in mind, evident the environmental degradation and contemporary dilemmas such as the Alberta tar sands due to logging and other capitalistic interests. Admittedly, I did expect a somewhat biased report, as expected, when a documentary aims to tackle a very controversial and historically convoluted issue. However, my initial skepticism was swept away once I realized Kevin Annett was apparently a learned man that must have some insightful perspective. Considering the basic background knowledge I gathered about him from his Wikipedia page.

From the start, where particular bible verses were collected along with a melancholy selection of music and opening scenes, I knew this documentary was garnering a simplistic theme. Nonetheless, I continued watching trying to remain objective and absorb the following presentation as a significant composition of rational thought. However, the documentary did nothing but head south from there. The whole documentary is built on the pretense of Kevin Annett’s experience in the west coast with the United Church and subsequent political institutions. Kevin Annett’s experience is filled with its own confusing subtext such as his marital divorce, supposedly financed by the church, and being fired from his job as a local minister at the church.

The whole documentary goes back and forth between a closed opinion-based discussion focused on Kevin Annett’s experience, featuring clips of random aboriginal people recounting their trials and tribulations including stories they had heard or allegedly witnessed. Kevin Annett tried to build an argument for the “genocide” of aboriginal society in Canada loosely based on random sources of information such as newspaper clippings and books from the early 20th century. Throughout his discussion, Kevin utilizes the fact that he’s articulate to paint a picture about the current political and historical situation and causes to justify an apparent “Canadian genocide”. Annett presents no real evidence in opposition to his argument and does not have any discourse with his own subject. Instead, he uses words and allusions to describe the dark, evil, and twisted conquistadors of the imperial west bearing the flag of Christianity and Canada.

How this documentary has yet to receive any clear negative feedback boggles my mind. I’m assuming knowledgeable viewers, who did not have anything directly invested emotionally into this issue, stopped watching shortly after it started. Anyway, I do not recommend this documentary for anyone, not even aboriginal people. Kevin doesn’t give any recommendations for collective-action instead he persuades viewers to sympathize with his “heroic” mission and presents a recipe for anarchy. Legitimate political action does not arise from stigmatizing political intuitions and officials as the “enemy”.

All in all, the only thing this documentary did for me was clarify just how complex and divided this issue has become as a whole. My heart goes out to those who did suffer and are still suffering but this type of thing just isn’t useful.