Tag Archives: children

Module 3 Post #2 – Monique Gray Smith -How to talk about residential schools

Monique Gray Smith and author of “Speaking Our Truth” came out with a youtube video on how to talk to kids about residential schools.  The post is recent because of the discovery of all the unmarked graves that have been found and in response to the first 215 found on T’Kemlups te secwepemc former residential school site.

Her advice for our littlest citizens is to create a circle and tell them that for a long time the indigenous children were taken away.  Depending on the age you can talk about the genocide and atrocities.  She recommends authors rather than books.  Authors such as Julie Flett, Christy Jordan Fenton, the late Olemaun, Margaret Pokiak Fenton, Tasha Spillet, Jenny, Kay Dupris, Katherina Vermette, Cynthia Leitich-Smith, Tracy Sorell, David A. Robertson, Richard Van Camp, Dallas Hunter, Nicole Nedhert, Karie Newman, Christie Hudson, Tanya Talega, Cherie Demeline, Eden Robinson, Tracey Lindberg, Louise Erdrich, Helen Knott, Teresa-Mailhot, Waubgeshig Rice, Drew Hayden Taylor, Thomas King, Richard Wagamese.

All of these authors’ residential schools and legislation that has impacted the families and the ripple effects.  The relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.  Monique continues to tell us that change is incumbent upon us as citizens in Canada.  That the reality is that we are only beginning this journey to heal and to understand.  To uphold dignity and move forward means we all have a role in that.

She asks us as adults having conversations with the classes, friends and children, What is your role? And to be ready, because when the children ask you, and they will, that you will be ready to have these conversations.

Monique encourages us to have humility as there is a lot that we don’t know and more that we need to do.

Module 2 Post #3 TEDxVancouver A History of Residential Schools

Ginger Gosnell-Myers on June 25, 2018, tells a powerful story of her father.  He is a hunter, a friend, and strong ready to help his community. When she was 17 she saw her uncle on TV talking about residential school.  Her father had passed away and she never could talk to him about that time.  About the mass Post-Traumatic Stress and the Intergenerational Experience where no healing and limited truths existed.

Through her conversation in this talk, Ginger Gosnell-Myers talks about the 2007 class-action lawsuit that resulted in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  She talks about one story in 2013 from the survivors who told their story where the father told his story for 10 minutes and the son said that this was the first time he ever heard this truth for the other 10 minutes.  She goes on to say that hearing the stories was an awakening and that there were the 94 Calls to Action and then they were done.

She speaks about the risk of continuing as a country and not having all 80,000 stories told and the risk as a country.  She compares reconciliation with Germany and the Jewish communities and how they have been using all the actions necessary.

She asks us to educate ourselves.  Only 1 in 5 Canadians can name a residential school in their community.  She encourages us to watch A Secret Path championed by Gord Downie and she says this is a place to start learning.

She talks about New Zealand and how they move forward with a respect for Maori culture and how the goal for all New Zealanders to have Maori pride with place names, representation in government, incorporating the Haka in sport and how everyone knows their connection to the land that they share through Indigenous knowledge.

Ginger Gosnell-Myers challenges us to look at reconciliation not as a time-defined program but rather a process that has no expiration date, and if it takes forever, then we should be ok with that.