When reporter Justin Brake saw the hit Broadway musical Come From Away, he watched in astonishment as the actors on stage sang a song that would change his life forever. It was about his grandfather, and purported to reveal that his entire family history was a lie. This sent him on a quest for answers about who the Brakes really are. What he learned not only drove a wedge between Justin and his family — it put him in opposition to a new story of shared Indigenous ancestry that is being embraced by tens of thousands of people across Newfoundland and beyond.
Illustration by Jay White