Into the Light: Living Histories of Oppression and Education in Ontario

Into the Light: Eugenics and Education in Southern Ontario is both an award-winning exhibition and a 37-minute documentary film that brings one of Canada’s sinister secrets of eugenics, as well as stories of survival, out of the shadows and into the light.The exhibition was co-created and co-curated by Elder Mona Stonefish, Peter Park, Dolleen Tisawii’ashii Manning, Evadne Kelly, Seika Boye and Sky Stonefish and featured at the Guelph Civic Museum from September 14, 2019 – March 1, 2020 in Guelph, Ontario.The exhibition and the documentary are co-presented by Guelph Museums, Bodies in Translation: Activist Art, Technology and Access to Life, Re•Vision: The Centre for Art and Social Justice, and Respecting Rights, ARCH Disability Law.

Into the Light: Living Histories of Oppression and Education in Ontario serves as a powerful example of the intersection between Indigenous and disability justice, revealing the impacts of Canada’s eugenics history on Indigenous and disabled communities. Through Indigenous-led curation and survivor narratives, this exhibition and documentary amplify the overlapping legacies of oppression faced by Indigenous disabled individuals, challenging erasure and highlighting resilience.Tech Literacy & Accessibility: This exhibition and documentary highlight Canada’s history of eugenics, presenting accessible resources that educate the public on this oppression. By making these materials available through both an exhibition and a film, it promotes an accessible and multi-format approach to learning about histories of disability injustice and survival, positioning accessibility as integral to public education. Reducing Harm in New Media: Into the Light counters harmful ableist narratives by centring survivor stories and exposing the harms of eugenics, offering a more respectful and accurate portrayal of disabled lives. This creates an inclusive counter-narrative to mainstream histories, challenging the erasure of disabled people’s experiences in Canada. Data & Knowledge Stewardship: By documenting survivor stories and community memories, the exhibition provides a community-led archive of lived experiences that centres agency over these sensitive histories. The project preserves these narratives within a framework that honours the experiences and resilience of those affected, safeguarding this knowledge for future generations.