Project vision

Culture Killers Culture Healers, the documentary, will addresses the social impact of forced inculturation of the North American Indigenous people, including the subsequent abuse and current-day need for healing and reconciliation. This abuse is perhaps the most overlooked social justice issue of our time. Thus, our goal is to inform as well as to help heal those whose lives have been impacted by this domino-effected abuse.  Through the distribution of the film, we aim to shed light on a shameful history of rampant abuse at Native Indian mission and residence schools across the United States and Canada. The film came about as the result of a grassroots effort that began in 2018.

In March 2018, Leslie (Les) Hale Hammerberg came across a Facebook page of an old friend. Growing  up near Pittsburgh and in her late teens, “Les” and her family became good friends with George (Toby) Gaines. As time went on, their lives took them in different directions. From her home on the Flathead Reservation in Polson, Montana, Les found Toby again. This time it was through her computer. Les reached out to Toby to catch up on life and their conversation unexpectedly developed into a life changing experience for both. Toby mentioned to Les that he is a retired funeral home director/owner, and ordained as a permanent deacon in the Roman Catholic Church.   

Les began talking about her Mandan heritage, and the indigenous children taken from their homes and sent to residential boarding schools to re-educate them and strip them of their cultural identity. Toby was unaware of this history and, when Les informed him of the trauma abuse and the deaths of thousands of kids at the hands of Catholic and Protestant church men and women, Toby knew this must not remain a secret in the United States, and action was necessary. Les reminded Toby that her own father was a product of a residential boarding school. Stunned, saddened, and angry, Toby made a phone call.   

Toby reached out to his friend Paul Ruggieri, a documentary producer from Pittsburgh, suggesting a  film on this horrifying history. Paul and Toby began researching that day and the available facts were overwhelming. Neither could understand how 150 years of history could be so out in in the open and  yet hidden. To make matters worse, Toby and Paul learned about the inter-generational effects of  trauma and abuse. The trauma and abuse have found their way through a century and a half and is still  affecting indigenous children throughout North America (Turtle Island). 

Paul knew the only way inter-generational abuse and trauma could stop was if the public was educated and resources were provided by those trusted within Indigenous communities. Toby’s call to Paul about producing a documentary was  insightful. We had a firm purpose to expose this history but what we discovered was the need to bring  about true reconciliation and healing.    (story continues below)

Les invited Paul and Toby to the Flathead Reservation (Salish-Kootenai). Paul and Toby conducted an initial on-camera interview with Pat Matt (Salish-Kootenai), whose father suffered from the trauma at a boarding school. He spoke of the effect it has on his family.  Our journey continued with Les, her husband Mike and their son Sutton. They embarked on an 11 hour drive to the Fort Berthold Reservation (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara) in Western North Dakota. They requested and received permission to record scenes at a Pow Wow.  Also, within the Earthlodge, they interviewed several people, including Elder Jason Morsette and a young lady whose family is suffering the effects of intergenerational trauma.   

In August 2018, Faith Hale Wright (Les' sister) invited Paul and Toby to Canada to conduct interviews with victims and tribal leaders. On this trip, they stopped at the first and longest operating residential school at Six Nations, which was open from 1828 to 1969 in Brantford, Ontario. Its formal name is the Mohawk Institute, but the children referred to it as “Mush Hole” because of the “bland porridge” they were fed.  It was here that Paul shared, “You can still feel the presence of the children here, and it feels haunted. Seeing the names  carved into the bricks by children, it is a reminder that these people suffered greatly. We will educate  the world about what happened to keep this history from repeating.”   

A few months later, in November, they went on a second trip to Polson, Denver and Colorado Springs  to interview trusted healers like Don Coyhis (Founder, White Bison and developer of “Wellbriety”), Dr. Dan Foster, and Kim Barta, MA, LC. PC. These leaders have developed proven methods for healing family relationships, with a focus on stopping inter-generational abuse and trauma.   

In January 2019, on a second trip to Canada, they interviewed Kevin Annett and several others on  the front lines of this battle in Canada. "Truth and Reconciliation” efforts have made this history well-known, but until recent reveals in the media, outside of reservations it had been difficult to find people in the general public who were truly aware. 

The roots of this documentary began with friends reuniting over a cause, which developed into a goal to bring healing, love and understanding to all people of Turtle Island.  After travelling 80,000 miles for the production of the trailer (above), this journey has just begun.