(24 min) Chapter 1: The Contagion of Colonization

Thousands of years before Europeans first set foot in the northern part of the North American continent, diverse Native peoples occupied these lands, each with their own tribal territory that provided the resources for survival. The arrival of Europeans first disrupted then devastated these First Nations. Through interviews with members of these First Nations today, we learn about life before contact with European settlers, and then of the systematic attempt by colonizers to destroy Native culture: through the Indian Act; the Reserve System of Indian Lands; and the Residential School system.