‘Thunder Bay’ is the Documentary Every Canadian Should Watch This Year
Trigger Warning: Violence, Racism
Thunder Bay is the most moving documentary that I’ve seen in years. It deeply disturbed me. On a personal level, it showed me just how de-sensitized I’ve become to pain. The justice system and its failings, institutionalized racism, classism and sexism… those are all things that have always boiled my blood and spurned me to action.
But, after years of watching Netflix show after show about the gross miscarriages of justice, people left imprisoned for years after being coerced into false confessions and horrible atrocities committed regularly against vulnerable communities without care or concern from the powers that be… well, I’m ashamed to say, it started to wash over me and become entertainment. That was all shaken loose by the Thunder Bay documentary.
What is Thunder Bay about?
The four-part Crave original documentary shone a brutal spotlight on the horrific human-rights violations that are happening Canada-wide, right now, against our First Nations brothers and sisters in a way that no Canadian should be able to ignore. If you can watch this docuseries and not feel a hot rage boiling inside you and a deep desire do do something, anything to make this better… well, I don’t know what would move you.
Thunder Bay is a gripping investigative series that was produced and hosted by Anishinaabe activist, podcaster and award-winning writer Ryan McMahon. Ryan is on a mission to find the truth about the relentless, devastating killings of Indigenous community members in Thunder Bay, Ontario (affectionately known as Canada’s “murder capital”) and the negligence of a police service that is irreparably corrupt at the upper echelons.
There is no mistaking how colonialism keeps our system broken. We, as a country, are set up at the core of our institutions to benefit White people. And, no matter how many ‘independent investigations’, government-sponsored “truth and reconciliation” ceremonies, subsidies and tax breaks there are… it’s not enough. Indigenous Canadians are still disproportionately struggling to survive and it is all of our responsibility to stand up and scream until something happens. That was my takeaway from Thunder Bay.
Why should you watch Thunder Bay?
Canadians should watch Thunder Bay because there is no other piece of media out there like it. There are podcasts (incredible ones, like Stolen by Connie Walker), publications (like the official report form the Truth and Reconciliation Commission), books, articles, conferences… but there is nothing like this docuseries. It depicts in stark terms how the White government and institutions of communities with high populations of Indigenous people dismiss Indigenous humanity and engage in active racism, today. There were scenes in Thunder Bay that were shocking, and left me pacing my living room, yelling at the TV.
Here’s a quote from a white Thunder Bay woman — the audio of her interview was played in the series: “I don’t want to sound racist but… they just don’t know civilization.”
Another man claimed, “It’s not about us mistreating them, but it’s about idle hands.”
A reminder — this docuseries was filmed this year. The portrayal of White paternalism is gut-wrenching. You can hear the blistering entitlement in the White voice… “We know what’s best for those poor Indians.” It’s the exact same mentality that allowed White settlers to brutalize and colonize the Indigenous peoples of Canada starting in the 1600s.
Canadians should watch Thunder Bay because it will make you deeply uncomfortable. It will show you what is actually going on behind the scenes after the press conferences and the politicians hugging Indigenous representatives for a photo op are over. The sad truth is — a whole lot of indifference, violence, dismissiveness and, you guessed it, more racism.
The government is not taking the actions they promised they would to right the wrongs of colonialism. They aren’t listening and they just don’t care.
You might remember that starting in 2021, news stories started to appear shining light on the burial sites of Indigenous children at residential schools. A previous inquiry into these schools found that there was brutal, terroristic regime of abuse inflicted on the children and horrible health conditions. A lawyer for the government of Canada is currently trying to argue that it’s not possible to link the deaths of these children to being at the residential schools. The government of Canada also refuses to admit that these schools were a move toward ethnic cleansing and assimilation, instead standing by the absolutely ridiculous notion that they were intended for higher education. These children were stolen from their families, en masse. We are still using the same excuses to subjugate and silence Indigenous peoples here in Canada today.
In Thunder Bay, there is a moment when things seem to be turning around. An independent inquiry finds that there is systemic racism toward Indigenous peoples embedded in the Thunder Bay policing system. The report (titled “Broken Trust”) links the racist attitudes to the miscarriages of justice and the failure of the police to investigate suspicious deaths of Indigenous peoples in the community. There are specific recommendations — one is to install an Indigenous leader on the police board of directors. Georjann Morisseau is selected.
A Chief at 28, she is a powerful force for change on the board. That is, if they would listen to her. After months of being dismissed, silenced and ignored when she tries to move the dial on key recommendations, Morisseau shares that the police chief at the time (Sylvie Hauth) screams at her in a meeting to “Shut the fuck up!” Later, Hauth is removed due to the fact that she initiated an illegal criminal investigation into Georjann for no reason. Another reason to watch Thunder Bay is to get a first-hand look at the reprehensible underhanded tactics used to undermine Indigenous authority, including hacking a press conference Zoom stream with a ‘porn bomb.’ It happened. We saw it. On camera.
Oh, by the way, the new police chief in Thunder Bay is also fresh off of a suspension for improper disclosure of information.
The Path Forward
To move forward, there needs to be major, nation-shifting change. I’m not talking about some Indigenous demonstration and sage smudge in the corporate boardroom. That’s a pathetic showing of support. I’m talking about dismantling our colonial systems and rebuilding them from the ground up with Indigenous values at their core.
We’ve tried it the White way — investigations, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, public ‘apologies’… all ineffectual. We still have housing and clean water crises, land claims disputes that paint Indigenous peoples in a paternalistic light, thousands and thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women, institutionalized racism that has led to countless miscarriages of justice for Indigenous families… the list goes on. It’s not happening fast enough. Thankfully, we have inspirational Indigenous torch-bearers to shed light on these issues, speak truth to power and incite change.
When leaders like Georjann Morisseau speak, their voice should echo into utter silence and deference. Their recommendations and direction should be taken. They should not be told to “shut the fuck up.” Indigenous peoples should be at the core of our nation-building efforts, steering the ship alongside our other nation’s leaders. In many cases, Indigenous leadership should replace White leadership in key areas of our societal development.
There are 1,771 open death cases for Indigenous people in Thunder Bay, right now. That’s a drop in the bucket compared to what that number is nation-wide. Let’s be clear — that is almost 2000 deaths that have been ruled suspicious, but the police haven’t bothered to investigate. Of those deaths are the Seven Fallen Feathers — seven Indigenous youths, all under the age of 18, all their bodies found near water, all dead within the same timeframe. No investigation. We need to call on our police service and those who hold them accountable to re-humanize Indigenous Canadians and start to actually do their job when it comes to protecting them.
But, what can I do?
If you are a White Canadian, you have a platform and an opportunity to make things better, just using the weight of privilege your voice carries. You can write letters to your politicians. You can sign the petition for land governance to respect Indigenous rights. You can start talking about this, at school, to your friends, in your workplace. You can stand and walk alongside our Indigenous brothers and sisters and demand justice. These are hard conversations to engage in. You will cry. You will feel upset and uncomfortable. You might get defensive. That’s what Truth and Reconciliation is. Just stay with it.
For my part, I promised myself that as soon as I had a platform, I would use it to advocate for Indigenous human rights. I grew up on the West Coast of Newfoundland, on the ancestral land of the Mi’kmaq people. My great-grandmother, Gladys Brake-Hynes, raised her family as a Mi’kmaw woman near Elmastukwek (Corner Brook). When I received my letter and status card declaring that I was a founding member of the Qalipu First Nation, something fell into place, internally. A legitimization of something I always felt in my blood and my bones. Unfortunately, a few short years later, the provincial government of Newfoundland rescinded my status because I chose to move to Toronto and pursue post-graduate studies (in the field of Indigenous Media Relations). Many Mi’kmaw from Newfoundland had their status taken away as a government cost-cutting measure.
Just one more example of institutionalized racism and the notion that First Nations people of Canada still have to prove themselves worthy of recognition.
I have had the privilege of opportunity to be in a position where I own my company and my voice travels (not super far, but far enough, I think, to make a difference). So, until this is fixed, I am standing next to my Indigenous brothers and sisters and screaming for justice. Ryan McMahon ends Thunder Bay by describing the concept of baagijigaanan — an Ojibway term that describes the gift everyone has to give to the world. The Seven Fallen Feathers and the thousands of other missing and murdered Indigenous people will never be able to give their gift to the world. That is devastating and no one could begin to comprehend that grief.
I think my baagijigaanan is my ability to connect with people, to form strong relationships and to lead with empathy. I think I’m strong, resilient and driven, especially when it comes to this. I will use my baagijigaanan to make people listen, pay attention and take action. I offer my small platform to this fight.
“To move forward in Thunder Bay, hell, to move on in Canada, we need to share our baagijigaanan freely and unselfishly. It cannot only be the Indigenous community who live with a heartsick rage in the pit of their stomach due to injustice and indifference. In order to build a future where everyone can live free to go out to a movie without fear of being killed. We need baagijigaanan. We need my baagijigaanan. We need your baagijigaanan (…) Nahow.” (Ryan McMahon)
Canada can’t hide behind the unassuming image of politeness and gentility it’s become so globally known for while this is going on within the borders of our nation. Maybe it’s a little too unpalatable for some to consider what it means about us that it’s gotten this far. But, therein lies the critical nature of Truth and Reconciliation. Police investigations have failed so badly that no one really knows the number of missing and murdered Indigenous people in Canada. Thousands of First Nations families have had to internalize trauma and grief with no justice or acknowledgement from those who are supposed to be protecting them. We can’t lie to ourselves — the same racism, entitlement and dehumanization of Indigenous people that enabled residential schools and the Sixties Scoop is still alive and thriving today. And, our White government and it’s institutions don’t care nearly enough.
LINKS:
Stolen by Connie Walker:
https://open.spotify.com/show/7D4inq4DY144KIZN99Od6t?si=f3be25ab3c984da0
The Broken Trust Report:
https://oiprd.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/OIPRD-BrokenTrust-Final-Accessible-E.pdf
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
