This project set out to understand better how the residential school legacy passes on between generations. It involved a process of documenting, in First Nations women’s own words and “digital stories”, their understanding of how they had been impacted by the schools.

A “digital story” is a 2-5 minute video. It is a personal narrative coupled with a collection of still images, video, and music which illustrates an individual’s story. Indigenous peoples’ stories are intellectual traditions that can disrupt colonial narratives of history, recognize injustice, celebrate resistance, and envision the future. Researchers and communities are increasingly recognizing the healing properties of visual and narrative approaches; thus this project both generated information about the experiences of women whose mothers attended residential schools and served a therapeutic purpose. Digital media can make these concerns more visible to the world and exchange knowledges and sensibilities that support self-representation and self-determination.

The filmmakers featured in this project are Lorena Fontaine, Lisa Forbes, Wendy McNab, Claudette Michell, Lisa Murdock, and Roberta Stout. Their stories give profound insight into their relationships with their mothers and the complex effects they experienced. The stories birth hope, showcase resilience, and speak to the emotional and healing journeys of mothers and daughters.

The report kiskinohamâtôtâpânâsk: Inter-generational Effects on Professional First
Nations Women Whose Mothers are Residential School Survivors by R. Stout, S. Peters discusses the findings from his project.

Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence, in collaboration with Canadian Women’s Health Network presented a webinar on this project. Click on link to view. Webinar - First Nations women and the legacy of residential schools: Daughters of women survivors use digital media to share experiences

		Title: Walking In A Good Way on Mother Earth Filmmaker: Claudette Michell Length: 04:49 View movie
		Title: Mary-Lou and Me Filmmaker: Lisa Forbes Length: 05:10 View movie
		Title: I Am My Mother`s Daughter Filmmaker: Lisa Murdock Length: 05:57 View movie
		Title: My Journey Into Motherhood Filmmaker: Lorena Fontaine Length: 05:28 MB View movie
		Title: nikâwiy ekwa niya Filmmaker: Wendy McNab Length: 06:35 View movie

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