By Bryan Eneas

Residential School survivors find comfort and healing in each other

Jun 21, 2016 | 5:52 PM

A group of residential school survivors are taking steps towards their own healing process by walking away from the place which they say has caused them so much grief.

A group of about 70 residential school survivors and their families departed from the Senator Allen Bird Memorial Center on their way to La Ronge and Stanley Mission. In the first event of its kind, former students left from their former school grounds on their own accord.

Tom Roberts, a former CBC radio host handled the PR for the commemorative walk. He himself is a residential school survivor, having attended Prince Albert Indian Residential School until he was 16. Almost 50 years ago today, he was bussed off of the school grounds for the last time.

“We never actually left on our own accord… today is about doing just that. Taking control of ourselves, and walking home on our own,” Roberts said.

Participants and survivors from all around Saskatchewan gathered in the former drill hall, and started their respective healing processes through song, speeches, and being together. Some survivors chose to make their stories public, speaking to the group before they headed off towards the Diefenbaker Bridge. A few walkers chose to pick up stones from the former residential school to toss into the Saskatchewan River to symbolize their commitment to leave the past behind.

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The first elder to speak about the residential school and how it affected his life was Riley Burns, from James Smith Cree Nation. Burns attended Gordon’s School, in Punnichy. Burns witnessed a girl drown on the school grounds while he was a student, and still thinks back to that moment to this day.

“We are here, to commemorate some of the survivors and those who didn’t make it home.” Burns said.

“This is a good thing, to let our young people know where we’ve been and what we’ve done in the past, so they can go ahead in their education, and not be stuck, where some of us today, we are stuck,” he added.

One of the most profound effects on Burns, he explained, was the lack of love and compassion shown to residential school students.

“We didn’t learn the little things (you learn) from growing up with your mother and father. So naturally, when we had our kids we didn’t know how to raise them, we didn’t know how to hug, we didn’t know how to love… in the residential school no one hugged you, no one told you a story before bed. Nobody said ‘I love you my little child’ as our parents used to do,” Burns said.

According to Burns, that sense of love started to come back when he and his wife started having grandchildren.

“We had to depend on those little ones to teach us how to forgive, how to love, how to care for one another. Because in residential school there was nothing. How can you learn when you only care about yourself?” Burns asked.

Students attended the Prince Albert Indian Residential School between 1948 and 1996 when the school finally closed its doors.

Evelyn Burns, also from James Smith and the wife of Riley spoke on the subject of the damage she feels was left behind by the residential schools. When she returned home, she found almost her entire reserve had fallen to drinking as a coping mechanism.

“When I came back, to my own home after nine years at school everyone was an alcoholic. We as people, we don’t want to talk about it… My words are not to harm anyone or to hurt anyone. But it happened to me,” said Evelyn. “I was sexually abused, over and over again. Not only in residential school but when I got home… I had a lot to forgive and if it wasn’t for God I wouldn’t have forgave, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”

Both Riley and Evelyn noted friendships made through school have often turned into lifelong connections. If it hadn’t been for Gordon’s School they wouldn’t have met, or shared their life together for as long as they have.

Despite the fact neither learned much about nurturing or parenting children, they figured out a way to still love each other.

“We have been married 54 years, and we still have our struggles, but we work together. My belief in marriage and in relationships is to be able to have open communication with your partner. Being committed to your partner, and to share your values. Be honest, and trust each other. That to me is what love is about,” Evelyn said.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.com

On Twitter, @BryanEneas