Hi-Ho Mistahey!

Obomsawin doc brings First Nations education issue to TIFF

By Cassandra SzklarskiHi-Ho Mistahey! explores the wide disparity between educational opportunities for First Nations communities and the rest of the country.

It centres on the children of Attawapiskat, who have been waiting for a school for more than 10 years.

The community’s previous elementary school was closed in 2000 due to toxic land contamination. Ever since, students have been forced to learn in portables that have degraded substantially with each harsh northern winter. Today, the structures are rundown, drafty and infested with rodents, says Obomsawin.

“I was shocked,” Obomsawin says of the conditions she found in the James Bay community.Comment:  For more on Attawapiskat, see Therese Spence Reelected and Natives Subsidize Canada, Not Vice Versa.