Survivors

What it is about

The residential school system remains rooted in Canadian history, but its effects continue to ripple through the present and future. The residential school system ran across Canada from 1883 to 1996. Throughout its lifetime, over 150,000 Indigenous children were removed from their homes, stripped of their cultures and forced through a system created to destroy their senses of identity. The lasting negative impact of the residential school system continues to devastate communities of survivors. This is Survivors: an eight-episode podcast, made in partnership with CJSW and the Government of Canada's Department of Canadian Heritage, providing insight into the lived experience of residential school survivors and their families. Produced by Grace Heavy Runner, Cameron Siferd, and Jasmine Vickaryous, the project prioritizes Indigenous perspectives. Download the Survivors informational zine here: PDF Download (16MB)

Publisher’s own description, taken unchanged from the podcast feed.
Copyright 2026 CJSW Radio

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Latest episodes

Survivors - Episode 4

2022-03-19

Physical & Mental Health: This episode takes a wide-ranging look at the detrimental effects of social and environmental factors in residential schools on the health of the children who attended them. These include…
Survivors - Episode 5

2022-03-19

Religion & the Church: The roles of various Christian churches (i.e., the Catholic, Presbytarian, Anglican, and United Churches) in the establishment and administration of residential schools are examined in this…
Survivors - Episode 6

2022-03-19

Intergenerational Trauma: The experiences of those enduring social and psychological impacts of the residential school system are considered in the sixth episode of this series. Topics addressed range from substance…
Survivors - Episode 7

2022-03-19

Truth & Reconciliation: Closures of the residential school system and the 2008 apology by Prime Minister Stephen Harper are discussed, as are the establishment and recommendations of the Indian Residential Schools Truth…
Survivors - Episode 8

2022-03-19

An Interview with the Honourable Murray Sinclair: In the series finale, Grace Heavy Runner conducts an interview with The Honourable Murray Sinclair, who served as chairman of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and…
Survivors - Episode 3

2022-03-18

Forced Assimilation: Episode three discusses the loss of Indigenous languages and cultural practices, stemming from the separation of children from their families and communities. State policies (such as the Sixties…
Survivors - Episode 2

2022-03-18

The Average Day: In this episode, we explain the routines and schedules which shaped the average day of a child at a residential school. These include the school’s curriculum, religious education, chores and labour, and…
Survivors - Episode 1

2022-03-18

The First Day: In episode one, we provide a general overview of the residential school system and its history. We also hear first-hand accounts about what it was like for children to be separated from their families and…

Episode details from the publisher’s feed. Playback happens at the publisher.

Publisher details

Owner: CJSW Programming
Oldest episode in feed: 03/2022 · over 4 years

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