Every Child Matters: TRUTH – Act one
September 29, 2020. National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Below are the notes that I took while watching Act one – Truth posted September 29, 2020. A very powerful video that is about 45 minutes long and looks all over Canada and talks to many survivors, commissioners for the TRC and powerful members of communities.
To show the survival, the resilience, the courage, and the love that our communities have for our children. Reconciliation cannot happen without the TRUTH.
Phyllis Webstad – Orange Shirt Day
RECONCILIATION – LEARN portion.
Throat singing – great imagery – great message
Metis nation acknowledgement.
The reconciliation we talk about healing, empowerment and leaving a legacy for children and grandchildren. The creator to live within the hearts and minds of the Metis.
The video goes through Canada or Turtle Island and June 16, 2020, was a fire of respect and Reconciliation starts with respect. This fire marked the start of the TRC commission and shared their pain, their hope and their dreams. They asked the TRC to share their stories with the young people of Canada and they want you to know the history and never repeat it.
It will require a deep commitment – Chief Fontaine.
The LEGACY of the RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SYSTEM – 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Metis children were separated from their families. Residential boarding schools 1830’s and closed late 1990’s. Suffer abuse and malnutrition. Discrimination, hardship, neglect and abuse. Isolated from communities, culture, punished. Thousands died while attending residential schools. Some people won’t go into the building and some of the elders won’t go into the building.
Many of the scars of abuse have been passed down. The survivors have fought hard to reclaim their traditions. Residential school experiences matter because we Matter.
14:00 – 18:16
Looking at the artists now and the witness blanket made from documents, photos and to record the truth of what happened to them. Over 880 different objects and each one tells a story and each one si part of the truth. The idea of being caught between two cultures. Through the art, the pieces and stories are being put together as a blanket. This blanket was made to witness and a witness watches and remembers and re-tells what they have learned
“I invite each of you to be a witness”
“Zuya” – video of the journey in the Sioux language. The name “White owl Woman” and she tells us her story and journey. Two worlds – the cultural sides, and the other world where there are cars, buildings and chaos. She is a Northern Woman’s traditional dancer. “Nothing is impossible”.
Throughout the video, there is a connection to crisis lines, and they talk about the Kids Help Line to support those feelings you might have.
Rita Joe – “I Lost My Talk” – high school students from Inuksuk High school create a video about what this meant to them. Very interesting take on Rita Joe’s poem. Very powerful.
Work University of Toronto – Indigenous Trauma and Resiliency – Master’s program. Social and emotional safety through a cultural lens.
Slam poetry about the residential survivors. “I know that my ancestors are still healing” and the idea of knowing self.
Orange Shirt Day – is a symbol of all the things that were taken away from the students that mattered.
The dolls for just one day, and then the dolls were taken away. The chores they had to do, and a survivor’s story and using a rag to make her a doll. When she got home she would look for her doll every Christmas and Antique stores to look for the doll. It is important for children to have toys. Making the rag dolls and talking about her doll.
Inuit experienced residential schools in different ways and in different timelines but they experienced them the same way that First Nations and Metis children experienced them as well.
The children of residential school survivors and the loss of life, children and culture. It’s important to recognize that this happened to all groups across Canada.
The ending is a great song by the children.