Kuper Island - Podcast Rankings and reviews

On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I’ve just finished listening to the Kuper Island podcast. It is fitting that I listen today, a day dedicated to speaking and hearing the truth about the genocide perpetrated at Indian Residential Schools, and to finding a path forward as a nation. This podcast does justice to its devastating subject matter. It speaks a brutal, unflinching truth. But it does so with incredible compassion, and importantly, in service of accountability, and healing. Bravo, Duncan and team. I think this it should be required listening for adults, and in Canadian schools, for children at an appropriate age. The only path forward together will be lined with truth and undoubtedly with tears.

A difficult story of native peoples’ genocide that is professionally produced, well-written, and most importantly includes many voices of former residents of a Catholic residential institution rife with abject abuse, sanctioned by church and government. This is a rare program voiced by an empathetic, native person whose voice rings with truth and compassion. I usually binge a series in one or two days while doing chores or crafts, but this one stilled my hands and demanded my full attention. Incredibly told.

I really appreciated this podcast for these truths about what’s happened in Canada to children in residential schools need to be spoken out loud, heard and held by all. I was a bit disappointed in the hosts response as the people shared their traumatic experiences ... the way he gasped and responded to his speakers. Made me wonder if the host had the capacity to really hold what happened. Gasping is all it takes sometimes to quiet people who have been traumatized as they can feel shame and be confused about do I have to take care of my listener now? Additionally, when one speaker says he hopes the abusers will be prosecuted the host responds and appears to to be questioning the speaker by pointing out the abusers are old… as if age should make a difference in accountability. The podcast host needs to learn more about being a witness to trauma before taking on such a project.

I binged this podcast in a day and I can’t find the words to describe how this moved me. This is such important history that is trying to be covered up.