IN PICTURES: Stories of truth in the face of increasing denialism

For Elizabeth Biscaye, the events leading up to the creation of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation are important to commemorate because — painful as they were — are “a part of our history, and it’s something that we should never forget.”

Speaking at the Orange Shirt Day event at the filled-to-capacity Tree of Peace Friendship Centre organized by the Native Women’s Association of the NWT, Biscaye said even though her experiences with residential school were not as painful as others, “friends have shared stories with me of their experiences, some that bring tears to your eyes, some that make it hard to speak about, and some of them are very, very painful, and they have to live with that every day for it for the rest of their life.

She continued: “And some, and I would say a lot, have not verbalized that pain, and when you don’t verbalize it, it stays in you. There’s a blackness inside of you. You need to get that out. You need to talk to somebody, or write it down, or do something.

“Because once trauma touches your life, it stays with you forever. It’s always inside of you. It’s how you manage it. This is where I think taking advantage of programs in the TRC, the calls to action. There’s a number of recommendations to develop healing programs that are geared towards healing for residential school survivors.”

Biscaye, who is the former director of the GNWT’s Gender Equity Division, said while her parents never went to residential school — “My father actually did for about a day and a half, and then he ran away, and he got he got away with running away” — they were impacted because their friends and families and the communities were impacted.”

Former president of the Native Women’s Association, Jane Weyallon Armstrong, said September 30th is an important day for Indigenous people..

“Today, I want to honour the strength and leadership of Indigenous women who survived residential school at a time when residential school denialism seems to be growing, recognizing these women is even more important,” said Weyallon Armstrong, MLA for Monfwi.

“Their stories must be heard to honour their strength and to make sure this history is never forgotten. We cannot forget the children that never returned home, the pain that families endured, especially those that were left behind.”

Weyallon Armstrong said for many women who survived residential schools, the impact stayed with them for a long time after they returned home.

“They carried the pain no child should ever have to carry, yet they went on to raise families. They became mothers, grandmothers, Elders, and leaders. Even when everything they were carrying, they kept our languages alive, and passed on that tradition residential schools had tried to take away.

“That kind of strength is difficult to put in words. Indigenous women have always been leaders in our communities, from political leaders to women leading in their homes and communities, they have helped carry our people forward.

“Today, our young Indigenous women are standing taller because of the woman who came before them, they can speak their language with pride and learn their culture. They can become our future leaders because generations of women refuse to let residential schools erase our identity.”

Yellowknives Dene First Nation member Cody Drygeese spoke about being raised by strong Indigenous woman, “my mother, my stepmother, my grandma, all of my aunties …

“But that’s part of why I’m here because everyone contributed to raising each other, raising the community. I’m not just the only person raised by my aunties. My aunties raised my cousins. They raised a lot of the other youth and helped help keep our tradition going. It’s because of my aunties that, like, I am starting to learn my language.

“They were able to preserve that, despite all of the hardship and the trauma, and they were able to continue carrying on that work. And because of them, because they were survivors, they kept their language strong and are continuing to share that every day.”

Drygeese said September 30th is an important day, not just for Indigenous people, but for all Canadians to learn about the history and learn about the trauma that Indigenous people continue to live with.

“What I want to say to everybody is just to remember to connect with your Elders, connect with your grandmothers and your aunties. Like talk to them, listen to their stories. That’s why they’re still here. They survive. They’re strong people. They have lots of stories to tell.

“Both of my grandmothers are residential school survivors, and they have so many stories about their time at the schools, but also they have even stronger stories about their life beyond it, their resilience and their their ability to adapt to those traumas and to live past them and continue living a good life, and to continue sharing those stories, and making sure that we all understand and learn together about these traumas, so that we never go through anything like that again.”

Meanwhile, on Wednesday at the Dene National Assembly at Kátł’odeeche First Nation:

And on Tuesday, students in Yellowknife expressed their support: