We Were Children (2012) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Children were sent to residential schools as part of Canada's official policy of forced assimilation. The government believed Indigenous cultures needed to be erased, with the explicit goal described in the 2008 apology as 'to kill the Indian in the child.' Parents were either compelled by law or pressured to send their children to distant schools, often hundreds of miles from their families and traditional territories.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with Lyna's mother preparing for the painful separation, establishing the compulsory nature of these removals.

• residential schools
• assimilation policy
• indigenous children
• canada history
• forced attendance

The school systematically stripped away Indigenous identity by replacing personal names with numbers. Upon arrival, each child received a number, and their hair was cut short. This practice was designed to erase their cultural identity and force them to adopt European-Canadian customs, making the children feel anonymous and disconnected from their heritage.

Foreshadowing: The intake scene establishes this dehumanizing process from the very first day.

• names
• numbers
• identity erasure
• cultural suppression
• dehumanization

Speaking native languages was punished because the school's goal was to eliminate Indigenous cultures entirely. Children who spoke their mother tongue faced corporal punishment, including being struck with a ruler. The film shows a boy being disciplined for speaking his language in class, illustrating how the institution actively worked to suppress their cultural identity.

Foreshadowing: The classroom scene with the defiant boy demonstrates the enforcement of this linguistic oppression.

• language suppression
• corporal punishment
• indigenous languages
• cultural erasure

Glen was tricked into believing he would visit his family, but instead was taken to the priest's house and forced into a small, dark crawlspace beneath the floor. The door was locked from above, and he remained trapped alone in darkness for about a week and a half, crying and calling for help while adults ignored his pleas. This hidden confinement represents the secret abuse that occurred behind the institution's walls.

Foreshadowing: The priests' control over the children and the absence of adult intervention foreshadow this hidden abuse.

• glen
• crawlspace
• priest
• confinement
• abuse

Lyna's health declined because she couldn't tolerate the school's food. She had been raised on natural foods at home but was given porridge and dry milk at the school, which her body couldn't handle. She lost weight, became malnourished, and eventually fainted in class. Staff attempted to force-feed her, but the poor nutrition continued to harm her health.

Foreshadowing: The harsh rations and unsupportive meals established earlier in the timeline lead to her declining health.

• fainting
• malnutrition
• food
• health decline
• porridge

One night, Lyna heard cries from the hall and witnessed a priest sexually abusing a boy. When she tried to tell a nurse what happened, the language barrier and her fear prevented clear communication. The nurse reacted harshly toward Lyna, and the abuse went unreported. This moment shows how the system failed to protect children and how abuse was concealed.

Foreshadowing: The film builds toward this scene by showing the pervasive absence of adult protection throughout.

• sexual abuse
• priest
• reporting
• nurse
• witness

After Glen was freed from the crawlspace by a compassionate nurse who discovered him, both Glen and the nurse attempted to flee together. However, the priests caught them before they could escape. The nurse was prevented from helping, the priests' abusive colleague was simply reassigned to another school, and the abuse continued unchecked. This illustrates how the institution protected abusive staff rather than the children.

Foreshadowing: The priests' ability to control the narrative and escape consequences is established early when Glen's captor faces no accountability.

• nurse
• escape
• priest reassigned
• cover-up
• accountability

Five years after the initial events, two boys attempted to escape by climbing out of the schoolyard and heading toward a nearby town. When they were recaptured, the priests punished not just the escapees but the entire group of children, demonstrating the collective control and harsh disciplinary methods used to prevent any form of resistance.

Foreshadowing: The rigid punishment system and zero tolerance for defiance established throughout the film make this harsh response predictable.

• escape attempt
• punishment
• recapture
• schoolyard
• resistance

Unlike other children who had families to return to, Glen was an orphan with no guaranteed home. After finishing school around age 18, he was released into a world without support. He turned to heavy drinking and even contemplated suicide, planning to escape into the mountains with a rifle. However, he ultimately chose to stay and care for his future children, shifting from despair to protective responsibility.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Glen's lack of family and the absence of a safety net early in his storyline.

• glen
• alcohol
• orphan
• trauma
• suicide
• survival

In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a formal public apology on behalf of the Canadian government. He acknowledged that the purpose of the residential school system was 'to kill the Indian in the child' and recognized the cultural genocide committed against Indigenous peoples. This apology came decades after the schools closed and represented a partial acknowledgment of the harm done to over 100,000 children who attended these institutions.

Foreshadowing: The film weaves this historical context throughout, connecting personal stories to the national narrative.

• stephen harper
• apology
• 2008
• prime minister
• cultural genocide

Despite the harsh environment, children found small ways to resist and support each other. Lyna took on kitchen duties and secretly shared scarce food with others. A nun occasionally brought bread, peanut butter, and cocoa to the children. Older children attempted escapes, and some spoke their language defiantly. These acts of solidarity and quiet rebellion showed resilience in the face of systematic oppression.

Foreshadowing: The harsh conditions established throughout make these moments of compassion stand out more powerfully.

• resistance
• solidarity
• food sharing
• kindness
• resilience

According to the film, there are currently over 80,000 residential school survivors alive today. The schools operated from the late 1850s until 1996, affecting multiple generations of Indigenous families. This number represents the ongoing legacy of the system and the continued impact on individuals, families, and communities across Canada.

Foreshadowing: The film emphasizes that this is not just history but ongoing reality for tens of thousands of people.

• survivors
• living survivors
• legacy
• ongoing impact
• 80000