The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation weighs heavily on my heart. My entire belief system was shattered with the discoveries at the sites of the former residential schools across Turtle Island.
I started this blog to overcome the physiological and psychological effects of surviving sepsis and to build a community for others in the same battle. I have been disabled by sepsis since 2011, but have recovered enough to try to return to work. In my pursuit of employment, I have received extensive education and educated myself on the effects of colonization on healthcare.
I learned that extensive unethical experimentation has been done on Indigenous people. The most infamous would be the nutrition studies by the Government in the 1940s. It was well known that Indigenous children at the residential schools were malnourished. Instead of improving the current food supply, it was seen as an opportunity to perform research to determine baselines and observe the effects of malnutrition in the students without consent.
A New Holiday
I have a hard time observing the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, not because of what it signifies, but because most people observe it as a holiday.
A holiday…some Canadians observe the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation as a holiday? Honestly, it’s hard for Canadians to see this day as anything other than that when the most prominent person in our Government, the Prime Minister, did just that. On the 1st recognized National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in 2021, Justin Trudeau was on holiday with his family in Tofino, BC.
What it Actually Means
The day is to commemorate the 150,000 children who were forever changed by attending residential schools. To mourn the thousands of children who never made it home from school? I felt, along with many other Canadians, that the then Prime Minister’s day should have been spent at Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc. This is the site of the residential school in Kamloops, BC, where the 1st unmarked graves had just been discovered.
The #EveryChildMatters movement gained momentum when 215 children’s bodies were found on the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc Residential School Grounds. Since that 1st discovery, more school burial grounds are being investigated:
- Battleford, SK, Battleford Industrial School, 72 Children
- Fort Providence, NWT, Sacred Heart Mission School, 298 Children
- High River, AB, Dunbow Industrial School, 34 Children
- Regina, SK, Regina Indian Industrial School, 28 Children
- Muskowekwan First Nation, SK, 35 Children
- Brandon, MB, Brandon Indian Residential School, 104 Children
- Marieval, SK, Marieval Indian Residential School, 751 Children
- Cranbrook/Ktunaxa First Nation, Kootenay Island Residential School, 182 Children
- Kuper Island/Penelakut Island, BC, Kuper Island Indian Industrial School, 160 Children
The complete list can be viewed via the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website.
The Dark Legacy of Residential Schools
At their peak of operation, there were 139 Residential Schools across Canada. The Roman Catholic, Anglican, United & Presbyterian Churches operated nearly 700 Indian Day Schools across Canada, except in Newfoundland. The TRC Report estimates 150,000 children attended these schools & has documented the deaths of over 6,000 Students. The biggest question to be answered is, why are there graveyards on school grounds in the first place? The odds of children being murdered at the Indian Residential Schools (1 in 25) almost equal the odds of Canadian Soldiers killed in WWII (1 in 26)!
We will never know the full extent of the genocide committed because some are mass graves, babies fathered by priests were cremated upon birth & records were not accurately kept & some still have not been released.
These kids were not students! They were abducted by Indian Agents, the Canadian Government’s Representatives with access to First Nation Reserves, to civilize the “savages”. If the parents objected, they were threatened by the RCMP. If a child ran away, they were hunted by the RCMP. If a child were to go home for Christmas, the parents had to sign a document stating that they promised the child would be returned to the School or go to jail.
Let’s be very clear, sure the children were taught to read & write, but these schools weren’t for education. They were for assimilation. Children arrived via cattle cars, were deloused, bleached with hot water in an attempt to lighten their skin, and cultural braids were cut off; if their mother tongue was heard, they suffered corporal punishment by the clergy. If you followed all the above requirements, then you were just cheap labor, malnourished & repeatedly abused, physically, sexually & especially emotionally. Siblings attending the same school were purposefully segregated to further KILL THE INDIAN IN THE CHILD!
This is the basis of the intergenerational trauma we talk about today.
The Scream – Kent Monkman 2017
The Reeducation of Shannon McKenney
As I mentioned before, I am seeking employment in healthcare. I was so happy to see that the healthcare authorities have an extensive list of required readings to gain employment. Here is how I prepared for my interview:
- Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015)
- In Plain Sight (2020)
- BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019)
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
- Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019)
- Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study
- BC Human Rights Code
- Anti-racism Data Act
This is a great place to start; however, there is much more work to be done. I was appalled when I heard a colleague in a position of power lament that they were tired of having Indigenous education and land acknowledgments shoved down their throat.
In fact, on my 3rd hospital admittance for sepsis, I was made to fill out a drug and alcohol usage form. Why? There was absolutely no basis for that information except racial profiling.
I intend to use my lived experience to be the change I want to see!
Why are you always smiling? I just survived genocide, man! – Paul Rabliauskas
How Should You Observe the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation Day?
Wear Orange! Residential School Survivor, Phyllis Webstad, had her orange t-shirt stripped from her when she wore it on her 1st day of residential school. Today, that orange t-shirt represents the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem that many Indigenous children experienced. This day reminds us that “Every Child Matters”.
Purchase an Official Orange Shirt to support their education and awareness programs.
Make a donation to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, with proceeds going towards the rehabilitation of survivors and their families of residential schools.
Go to an event. Here is a partial list of events across Canada
Here is what is happening in Greater Vancouver, where I live.
Read a book.
Watch a movie
Reconcili-ACTION
Our past doesn’t have to be our future, but there is still so much learning that needs to be done. It’s uncomfortable learning what happened to Indigenous children. It’s uncomfortable learning that the new residential school system has been duplicated in the child welfare system.
Reconciliation will not happen in a day. Become an ally and create a brighter future for the largest demographic of children in Canada!
If you require support:
The National Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
LAMATHUT CRISIS LINE 24/7 SUPPORT: 1-800-721-0066
Hope for Wellness Helpline: 1-855-242-3310
9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 9-8-8 anytime to connect with a trained responder.
