Watch Bones of Crows, a new must-see miniseries now streaming on CBC Gem
Epic story of resilience follows Cree matriarch Aline Spears, played by Grace Dove, over one hundred years
What is the Bones of Crows about?
Based on true events, Bones of Crows is an epic story of resilience told through the eyes of Cree matriarch Aline Spears. As a young child, she and her siblings are taken from their home in Manitoba and forced into Canada's residential school system.
Aline is a musical prodigy but her talents don't shield her from the cruelty of residential school: she's robbed of the use of her hand in a violent incident. And when the siblings make a desperate attempt to escape, their efforts end in tragedy.
Looking toward a new future and fluent in Cree, Aline is working as a code talker during the Second World War when she meets her husband Adam, an infantry soldier. Together they face their troubled past and imagine a world where they can protect their children from danger.
Over 100 years, Aline and her descendants fight against a reign of terror including starvation, sexual abuse and poverty as they struggle together toward reconciliation and a brighter future.
This sweeping five-part miniseries is the Roots for generations of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Directed, produced and written by Métis/Dene filmmaker Marie Clements, Bones of Crows fictionalizes real-life events and chapters of Canadian history that have been overlooked, including the Indigenous contributions to WW2, the ongoing cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
"Bones of Crows is epic in scope and it is meant to be," says Clements. "It is inherently connected in its telling to blood memory: the idea that we are living in the present but are affected by the lives and trauma of not only our own personal battles of survival, but those of our ancestors."
The feature film Bones of Crows debuted at Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022 and is now playing in theatres across Canada. The miniseries delves more deeply into Aline's story and those of her extended family members.
Where can I watch the series?
The entire series is now streaming free on CBC Gem.
CBC Gem is available for free as an App for iOS, tvOS, Fire TV, Android TV, Android phones and tablets, LG and Samsung Smart TVs, Roku, and Xbox One/S/X and online at gem.cbc.ca
Meet the cast
Grace Dove
Secwépemc actor and director Grace Dove stars as Aline Spears as an adult.
You may have already seen Dove in Oscar-winning film The Revenant where she portrayed the wife of Leonardo DiCaprio's character. She also had lead roles in the action thriller How It Ends and the film adaptation of Eden Robinson's novel Monkey Beach.
"I really believe I became an actor and a storyteller to share hard stories," she told CBC's Eli Glasner about her performance as Aline.
WATCH: In this revealing scene, Aline finally speaks frankly to an elderly Catholic priest who she assists as well as one of his parishioners.
Phillip Forest Lewitski
Award-winning Mohawk actor Phillip Forest Lewitski plays Aline's husband Adam.
Lewitski is best known for his leading role as Apollo in Hulu/CBC series Utopia Falls. Look for him next in prestige Apple TV+ Masters of the Air, an epic World War II series executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.
Rémy Girard
French-Canadian actor Rémy Girard plays Father Jacob, a priest whose charm masks his cruelty and bigotry toward the Indigenous children in his care.
Often found on the stage, Girard is also known for his roles in The Decline of the American Empire, Incendies and The Barbarian Invasions.
Gail Maurice
Métis actor Gail Maurice plays Aline's daughter Taylor Whallach, a lawyer and advocate for justice intent on exposing the violence carried out by Canada's residential school system.
Maurice is a two-time Canadian Screen Award nominee for best supporting actress in both TV show Trickster and feature film Night Raiders.
Summer Testawich
Young Cree actor Summer Testawich plays a young Aline.
She was raised on the traditional Syilx territory and had a small acting role on Avatar: The Last Airbender.
