Story 14: Content Warnings

When we were developing the site, community members and our steering committee made it very clear that having optional content warnings were integral. Content warnings are verbal or written notices that proceed potentially sensitive content. They flag the contents of the associated material so that individuals can prepare themselves or if necessary, not engage with the contents of the story. This is important for this project because many of the stories on the site are about residential school experiences or otherwise deal with colonial trauma. Part of ethically sharing stories is ensuring that the people witnessing the story consent.

On some stories, the storyteller will choose to apply a content warning to ensure viewers are aware and prepared for any content that might contain reference, imagery or description of difficult topics.

Content warnings appear above the story in a red box. We will show you in the Share a Story section how to apply a content warning to your own story.
This is also helpful for librarians or educators who may choose to use contents on the site as part of their community outreach.
The content warning reads as follows:

“The creator of this content has indicated that this story contains discussion, mention, or description of: Residential School and/or Day School.”
If there are ever other content warnings you like added to this list, we can make that happen. This project aims to be responsive to the needs of communities.