A 77-year-old Indigenous woman is sharing an emotional glimpse into her past experiences with residential schools on the big screen.
Elder Betty Ross is watching her own story unfold in the documentary film titled Return to the Falls, which is being played in Alberta classrooms leading up to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.
Ross’s past is one of being abandoned, then adopted, and then kidnapped and taken to St. Joseph’s residential school as an eight-year-old.
It wasn’t a story Ross always wanted to share with others, but when Eppo Eerkes’ daughter approached him 11 years ago with a graphic novel called Sugar Falls, the Cochrane filmmaker knew he had to track down “Little Betty” from the book. The literature was about Ross’s journey in the residential school system.
“Later that night, she read it many times and she handed it to me, and I just fell to pieces,” Ross said.
“In my heart, I wanted Sugar Falls to fly,” Ross told Global News from Lester B. Pearson School where the film was being screened to students.
So, when Ross got the unexpected phone call from Eerkes, she knew in her heart that she was ready for the opportunity to share her story.
“I said, ‘You know what? I was waiting for you. I was waiting for this call,” Ross said.
Ross’s story has since transformed from that graphic novel into the Alberta-made docu-drama Return to the Falls, which is designed to help educate people about the dark legacy of residential schools. It will make it way into classrooms across Canada.
Eerkes says it’s important that people learn the truth about residential schools.
“It’s about listening. It comes before anything. It’s listening,” he said emotionally. “I just know this story needs to be told.”
Ross agrees, saying that’s why she is open to sharing her story with younger generations.
“Before you can even talk about reconciliation, you have to know the truth,” she said.
“Every day is a healing journey for me.”