NCS begins work on Grollier Hall series
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 28/01) - The Native Communications Society has hired a co-ordinator for their Grollier Hall television series, and the project is now under way.
NCS executive director Sabet Biscaye says that Beverly Mitchell, the new co-ordinator, is suited to the job because of her wide range of experience.
Originally, from Aklavik, Mitchell has a degree in journalism, as well as having experience in front of the camera -- she played the teacher on the popular CBC series North of 60. But most importantly, Mitchell attended a residential school.
Her sensitivity to the subject will help her in interviews with Grollier Hall students who suffered abuse at the school.
The one-year project on the now-demolished Northern residential school is being produced by NCS in conjunction with the Grollier Hall Residential School Healing Circle, and will hopefully be aired across Canada on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
Biscaye says that, to her knowledge, there have been no in-depth television projects on the Northern residential school experience, which is one main difference from other Canadian experiences.
"With Grollier Hall, the fact that the survivors have become an organization, in that sense it's a significant. The goal is to give the survivors an opportunity to tell their story, and to also tell what happened as a result of the experiences."
Ultimately, NCS wants to present the Grollier Hall story from the perspective of the survivors. The impact of abuse of them, on their families and on their communities will be explored. The series, finally, will focus on the healing process and resources available.
"We also want to focus on the positive. We want to say, 'This is the journey they went on, what they did to start healing.' To give hope to people out there, victims who may have chosen not to disclose."
Biscaye, who attended residential school herself but had a positive experience, says disclosure is key for a survivor.
"We're hoping this program will give them the courage to do that."
The participation of the healing circle in the television series is vital.
"Their involvement is to make sure that we are accurate in our portrayal of the stories of the survivors and that we don't do anything to jeopardize any claims put forth by the survivors," says Biscaye.
She explains that it's very important that material in the production can't be used against the people telling the stories.
The Grollier Hall series isn't your average television show.
Because of the sensitive subject matter, money for a legal adviser and counsellors is included in the $169,000 budget.
The nature of the stories has also led an interagency committee organized by the healing circle to request that NCS prepare Northern communities.
"To make sure that when the program actually airs that there are counsellors and resources available in the communities for people that this may affect. We may have to apply for more funding to make sure those resources are in place," says Biscaye.
NCS staff who will be working on the series will take part in an orientation to help them cope with the subject matter.
"All the technical staff have years of experience in the North," she adds. "I'm not worried of cultural sensitivity."
The series will be done in English, but will be voiced-over in the four Dene languages: Dogrib, Chipewyan, and North and South Slavey.
