Diannasalt’s Weblog

This video we chose is called: Richard Cardinal: Cry from a Diary of a Métis Child.

The year that was produced was in: 1986 by Producer Alanis Obomsawin
Producer: Marrin Canell
Producer: Robert Verrall

The dicertor of this film: Alanis Obomsawin

This film is about a boy who cried out for help in a diary. A metis, Richard Cardinal who commited suicide at 17 years. This young boy had been taken from his home at the age of 4 because of family problems, and spent the rest of his 17 short years moving in and out of 28 placements, 12 group homes and shelters and 16 foster homes in Alberta.

The important themes in this video are:

• Hurt
• Neglect
• Depression
• Abuse
• Anger
• Sucide
• Emotions
• Alone
• Feeling hopeless

we chose this film because the title itself caught our attention, after reviewing the film it had important issues about the welfare system concerning the youth.

Richard was being taken from his home at the age of 4, there were 8 siblings all being placed in different homes. by the age of 9 he was already moved to his 11th foster home. all this time Richard Cardinal being in and out of the placement facilities. Richard had lost the will to live because he couldn’t take it anymore. the only thing he wanted was to go home and see his family. on June 26, 1984 he finally succeeded in committed suicide at his last foster parents back yard after being there for only 38 days. they could have just gathered the family at least once a year for the siblings to see each other. The social welfare system finally gave him a better treatment then they ever did before, is when they arranged his funeral they gathered all his sibling to attend the funeral some he hardly knew.

The film’s release, along with the determination of his last foster parents, brought the story national attention, prompting changes in child welfare administration policies. It has been used throughout the United States by Child Protective Services departments to train staff.

In Richard Cardinal’s case, he never got the help he really needed. As a Métis adolescent, he was taken from his home at a young age and placed in many different foster homes, group homes, shelters and lodging facilities. In Richard’s diary he described of his hardships, abuse and neglect he felt during his lifetime. It also described him as a sensitive and articulate young man. Richard ran away from many different homes. His search for his identity and family has haunted him all his life. He wanted so much to search for his own identity. In the end all that he went through caused his fatal death of suicide.
When Richards’ case, was finally taken to and heard in court to find out what went wrong. One thing for certain was that the welfare system failed to see to the needs of the Aboriginal teenager. The welfare system has changed a lot from how it was back then. These days there are still many children who are in foster homes and they are finding ways on how to help these children. In one of the video’s Danny Pino a spokesmen speaks out for a call of action to be taken in helping children who are in foster care, who feel abused and neglected. To find better ways in helping these children. Richard did not have this kind of help when he was in foster homes. Richard Cardinal’s suicide had a tremendous impact on how th welfare system was run and there were many changes made. Aboriginal people, including the Métis were given the opportunity to control their own social services.
Children in foster homes feel and go through many different emotions. This other video shows how other children feel this way. Just as how Richard must have felt many times in his life in the film.
These are some of the themes that go together with the film and the videos.

• Hurt
• Neglect
• Abuse
• Anger
• Scared
• Alone
• Depressed
• Emotions
• Helplessness

This is our Refection on the film: Richard Cardinal:Cry from a diary of a Métis Child
Dianna Salt
Jean Jacob