Tanya Tagaq responds to residential school atrocities with video for "Colonizer"

Last week saw Tagaq release her latest album Tongues, and after speaking to Best Fit about the importance of her native language and the residential schools system scandal, Tagaq has delivered the video for "Colonizer", which is directed by Leah Fay Goldstein and Peter Dreimanis.

According to Tagaq, the video sees "the northern lights bear witness" to the residential schools atrocities, and arrives just days after new reports of more unmarked graves being discovered on the site of a former residential school in British Columbia.

"Government and church run residential schools ran for over 150 years in Canada," Tagaq wrote on Instagram. "The last one closed in 1996. Thank you to the TRC for all your work documenting and uncovering what transpired in these “schools”. Hearts out to the survivors. Donate via the link in my bio to support them. Deepest condolences to the families of the little ones who never made it home. To the church, the government, and Canadian citizens who benefit from non-consensual land developments, you are guilty."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tanya Tagaq (@tanyatagaq)

While speaking to Best Fit about the song, Tagaq said, "I’m tired of colonisers thinking they are just the ‘norm’ of Canadian society, that they just appeared here as if by magic. Everyone is responsible for the system that is in place right now. Those who benefit from the genocide of indigenous people are still guilty."