Indigenous Siblings Reunite in Powerful New Film 'Meadowlarks

Four siblings meet for the first time in decades, brought together by a shared trauma but choosing to focus on healing. That's the heart of "Meadowlarks," a new film exploring how Indigenous families separated by Canada's Sixties Scoop are finding their way back to each other.

The Sixties Scoop was a series of Canadian government policies that removed thousands of Indigenous children from their families between the 1950s and 1980s. Most were placed with non-Native families, severing their connections to culture and community.

Director Tasha Hubbard knows this pain personally. "The only other Indigenous people in my community were other Sixties Scoop kids," said Hubbard, who was herself adopted through Saskatchewan's program. "I felt so alone."

Her new narrative film follows four fictional middle-aged siblings who spend one week together in a remote Alberta vacation rental. While the characters are fictional, their journey reflects the real experiences of countless First Nations people.

The film grew from Hubbard's 2017 documentary "Birth of a Family," which followed newspaper reporter Betty Ann Adam and her three siblings during their own reunion week. Adam became co-writer on the narrative version, helping shape authentic portrayals of Sixties Scoop survivors.

The all-Indigenous cast includes Michael Greyeyes and Alex Rice, who acted together in early 2000s television. "They often played each other's love interest," Hubbard explained. "They were so happy to have this opportunity to play these reconnecting siblings."

Before the Sixties Scoop policies, Indigenous youth made up just 1% of children in Canadian protective services. By the late 1960s, that number had exploded to more than one-third.

Why This Inspires

Hubbard deliberately balanced the trauma with humor and tenderness. "It's not that we can't represent trauma, it's part of our experience, but it's not the sum of who we are as a people," she said.

The film shows Indigenous characters as interesting, flawed, funny, and heartbreaking. It's storytelling that reflects the full complexity of Native life, told through a Native lens.

"Meadowlarks" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025 and recently screened at Toronto's imagineNATIVE Film Festival. For Hubbard, the goal is simple: give Indigenous audiences authentic representation and invite everyone else to be transported by Native storytelling.

The film is now streaming on major platforms across the U.S. and Canada, offering hope that separated families can find their way home.

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