The Pass System Documentary

Abstract

From 1886 to the late 1940s, First Nations people were denied the basic freedom of movement to leave their reserves without obtaining a pass from the local Indian Agent and subjected to political and geographical confinement. The Pass System criminalized First Nations people for leaving their reserve without a permit and were subjected to penalties and state imposed punishment. Moreover, it had no basis in Canadian law and this fact was kept hidden from First Nations people as a way to segregate First Nations peoples from their communities, ancestral lands, and kin. The documentary largely consists of interviews of Indigenous peoples who lived during the period of the pass system, their children, and academics. Link to the webpage: http://thepasssystem.ca.

Publication Information

Toronto: Tamarack Productions

Author
Williams, Alex
Publication Date
2015
Primary Resource
Primary