Ed Archie NoiseCat, a well-known Indigenous artist and former Santa Fe resident, was born and nearly died at the Indian residential school at St. Joseph’s Mission near Williams Lake, British Columbia. His son, Julian Brave NoiseCat, is co-director of “Sugarcane,” an award-winning documentary that investigates the abuses, deaths and missing children of the Canadian residential school system. The film made its world debut at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

Julian Brave NoiseCat, who directed the film with investigative journalist Emily Kassie, joins “Conversations Different” to discuss the emotional experience of making the film and the fortuitous beginnings of the project. NoiseCat, a member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq'escen and descendant of the Lil'Wat Nation of Mount Currie, talks about how the death toll of the Indian residential schools is not just something of the past, but is still being experienced today. He also shares how working on the film impacted his relationship with his father, and talks about his family's ties to Santa Fe. He also touches on his role in the push to nominate Deb Halaand as Interior secretary, which led to her becoming the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.

Learn more about "Sugarcane" at films.nationalgeographic.com/sugarcane.

This episode is sponsored by Homewise.

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