Brain School

It almost sounds like a symphony tuning up … But that is the sound of brainwaves. This is the technology that was at the heart of an experiment in Saskatchewan, Canada a decade ago. It involved 60 Indigenous children and their parents who were enrolled in something called ‛Brain School’. They were told they would learn how to improve their lives by changing their brainwaves. But some say that study violated basic ethical rules and never should have been approved by two Canadian universities. The documentary probes deep and complex issues that must be handled with the utmost care by journalists. There is a historic and abiding mistrust of the mainstream media in Indigenous communities, who feel that their issues are reduced to stories of victimhood without context. In this instance, the journalist has worked for decades on issues that touch Indigeneity in Canada. He worked hard to gain the respect and trust of the families whose lives had been affected by this bizarre experiment. After broadcast as part of a nightly newscast, this programme was warmly received in the affected Indigenous communities.