Monique Gray Smith - Speaking our truth a journey of reconciliation

Indigenous the term that is most commonly being used now to describe First Peoples, Mtis and Inuit.

systemic racism when systems (like schools or the justice system) are supported and maintained by policies, practices and procedures that result in some people receiving better or worse treatment than others because of their race.

Indian agent the representative of the Department of Indian Affairs (now known as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada). Indian agents were in charge of many aspects of affairs in their area or on the reserve(s) they were assigned to. The powers of the Indian agent were significant and influenced the lives of First Nations people in their area.

You might wonder how this could happen in our country. Well, a lot of it had to do with systemic racism. Laws and government policies were passed that allowed Indian agents (who worked for what was then called the Department of Indian Affairs) and the RCMP to take children as young as five years old away from everyone they loved and everything that was familiar and important to them. They were taken from their families, homes and communities and away from their land, culture and language. If parents or families attempted to stop this, they could be arrested, and the children were still taken.

For these children, the initial trauma of being away from family and loved ones was intensified by:

• Being separated from siblings and cousins or prevented from talking to siblings or cousins of a different gender.
• Being hungry. Children and staff received different meals. The childrens food was not nourishing, and at times it was rotten and full of maggots.
• Being abused. Physical, verbal, emotional, sexual and spiritual abuse was commonplace in the schools.
• Being forbidden to speak their own language or practise their own spirituality.
• Having their hair, which they often wore in long braids, cutbuzz cuts for the boys, and short bobs for the girls. (It is important to understand that in many Indigenous Nations, hair has significant meaning. The cutting of it often means there has been a death in the family. To children, most of whom did not speak English and did not understand why their hair was being cut, this experience was often traumatic.)
• Being forced to wear different clothes. Often the new clothes were ill-fitting and not suited for the climate in which the school was located.

One Voice

I do not speak for all Indigenous people. I am one voice. While I love history, I am not a historian. I share this with you because there are multiple experiences, stories and ways of understanding the impact of Residential Schools. I am sharing with you my own understanding of a complex and painful history.

MGS

Discipline was not only abusive, but also communicated a message to the children that they were less than.

All of this caused the significant loss of traditional languages in families and communities. It also fostered internalized racism, which led to a lack of pride and honour in being an Indigenous person.

internalized racism when people being discriminated against begin to adopt the racist attitudes and stereotypical beliefs about their own race.

Because of the courage of Survivorsformer studentsand their families, we have begun to understand what happened at those schools and the ripple effect of those experiences, which is still being felt in families, communities and our country.