Arya Mirzaei / staff reporter
In the documentary Spirit to Soar, journalist Tanya Talaga talks about the big problems Indigenous communities face. She talks a lot about seven Indigenous teenagers who died tragically in Thunder Bay, Ontario, between 2000 and 2011. Talaga started looking into this story about ten years ago when she was working for the Toronto Star. She went to Thunder Bay to report on Indigenous people voting in the 2011 federal election. But when she got there, Stan Beardy, who was the big chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation at the time, asked her why she was not talking about Jordan Wabasse, a 15-year-old boy who was missing from Webequie First Nation. Later, they found Jordan’s body in the Kaministiquia River.
When Talaga learned about Jordan’s death, she found out that he was one of seven Indigenous students who died in Thunder Bay, five of them were drowned in rivers. Even though there were reasons to think their deaths were suspicious, the officials said they were accidents or could not figure out what happened. Talaga was very upset that these tragedies were not getting much attention from the media or the public and government.
“This makes us think about why some people are not treated the same as others.”
Tanya Talaga
Talaga went with Stan Beardy to the river where they found Jordan’s body. She felt a strong connection to the land and water there, especially because Mount McKay, which is called Animikii Wajiw in Ojibwe, was in the distance. This place was important to her grandma’s community, Fort William First Nation. This personal connection made Talaga really want to tell the stories of these Indigenous kids and fight for their stories to be heard.
“We need to listen to the voices of our ancestors that tell us which way to turn, which way to flow with the river.”
Tanya Talaga
In Spirit to Soar, Talaga and Michelle Derosier, who helped direct the film, let the families of the victims, local Indigenous leaders, and students share their stories about what happened. These interviews show how hard it is for Indigenous kids who have to go far from home to go to high school in Thunder Bay. They face fear and discrimination every single day.
There is an emotional part in the movie is when some First Nations girls at Dennis Franklin Cromarty high school talk about how scared they are and how they always feel like someone is watching them in Thunder Bay. Talaga says these kids are very brave and strong, even though they face a lot of tough things.
It is clear from this documentary that racism is still a problem in Canada. Racism means treating people unfairly because of their race or where they come from. Talaga shows the racism Indigenous youths face, especially when it comes to things like getting a fair investigation if crime is committed against them. It is not fair that Indigenous kids do not get the same attention and support as other kids when they need help in Canada, we pride ourselves on caring about every child; however, tragedies face by Indigenous youth often are ignored.
“Canada, you can not say you did not know, you can not no longer look away. Now we must turn towards the possibilities of our future. We were always here. We are not going anywhere. This is where we belong.”
Tanya Talaga
Another important idea is that Indigenous communities are still fighting for fairness and justice. Families and leaders are working hard to make sure Indigenous people get treated better. They want things like fair investigations when something bad happens and better support for Indigenous youth.
Even though there is a lot of unfairnesses, the movie also shows the strength and bravery of Indigenous youth. Although they face tough challenges, they keep going and stay strong. Talaga wants us to understand how important it is to listen to their stories and support them.
For students at Gleneagle Secondary school, Spirit to Soar can help us learn more about Indigenous issues and how we can help. It is also a reminder of how hard life can be for Indigenous communities. We can stand up against racism and unfair treatment and support Indigenous communities. By learning about these issues, we can become better allies and make our school and community a more inclusive place for everyone.
Spirit to Soar does not just talk about the sad things that happened to Indigenous kids in Thunder Bay. It also tells us we need to do something about it. Talaga’s movie makes us think about standing toggling with Indigenous communities and fighting for fairness. It tells us we need to listen to Indigenous voices and fix the big problems caused by colonialism so everyone can be treated well.
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