Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger

When Jordan River Anderson, who suffered from a rare muscle disorder, died in 2005, he had spent all five years of his short life in a hospital while the federal and provincial governments argued over which of them was responsible for his care. In 2007, Canada’s Parliament passed a motion in support of “Jordan’s Principle,” a policy meant to ensure that First Nations children have equitable access to government-funded health, social, and educational services.

Master documentarian Alanis Obomsawin interviews Jordan’s family as well as other Indigenous families across Canada who have had to fight for basic human rights for their children.