This past weekend, I had the honour and privilege of going to Orange Jersey’s Every Child Matters Hockey Game – A Day of Unity Celebrations in Kamloops, B.C. This trip was filled with opportunities to reflect on the role that education plays in understanding Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. One thing that became even clearer to me during my time in Kamloops was that we must know the full truth of Canada’s history before we can heal the injustices and move forward into true Reconciliation.
I make meaning of abstract ideas through metaphors. The one metaphor that kept coming to me during my time in Kamloops was a bridge. In the process of meeting the 94 Calls to Action in Truth and Reconciliation, we need to build bridges to connect us and open spaces for dialogue to share our experiences and gain a more complete understanding. Opening to knowing the truth of what has been done to Indigenous Peoples in Canada while experiencing the pain and grief that comes with seeing some of humanity’s darkness is vital to begin to heal and address past injustices.
As I walked along the South Thompson River this past weekend, many thoughts flashed in my mind. As a child, I visited relatives on one side of this river and looked across to the area where the Kamloops Residential School stood. I was unaware of the events that happened and were still happening there. Unaware that children were being exposed to such atrocities that they would choose to die rather than face abuse and neglect daily. I remembered how my grandfather had been taken to an “orphanage” in Alberta for Indigenous children at the age of 6 years. He experienced racism and abuse that he kept secret, working for the Father at the “orphanage” and in the residential “hospital,” buried under the masks that he wore to survive. These seemingly contrary thoughts flowed through my mind as I watched the water flow.
As a young child, it was also possible that I looked across to the other side of the river when Indigenous children were experiencing horrendous things in the Kamloops Residential School. This is something that I must resolve within myself. I had the privilege of being able to attend public schools, while other Indigenous children had to endure these institutions, because of the sacrifices my grandfather made.
As I looked across the river this past weekend, a few things stood out to me. Once again, I had the privilege of being on the other side of the river. Looking up the river, I saw the Kamloops Indian Residential School on the other side. This juxtaposition of the beauty of the landscape and the land that held the memories and bodies of children who had suffered horrendous abuses was a reminder of how easy it is to bury and ignore the injustices in our not-so-distant dark history. Kamloops Residential School closed in 1978.
As I walked thinking about how I could move forward in my healing and support others seeing their role in this process of learning the truth, I noticed a series of signs about the Red Bridge, a bridge that was originally built in 1887 over the Thompson River. The bridge was originally built to connect the Tk’ emlúps Reserve and the pioneer ranches in the North Thompson district. The first in the series of signs that spoke most about the connection with the settlers and local First Nations people had been defaced with graffiti, making it difficult to read. It was clear that it was not the first time this sign had been covered in graffiti, as there were remnants of past writing still evident on the sign that they had attempted to clean. The graffiti and remnants of past ones metaphorically represented how the truth had been overwritten by others to the point that it was hidden beneath the surface.
The colour of the Red Bridge is also metaphorically significant for me. Like many Métis People, the colour red symbolizes for love and the blood that was shed fighting for our rights. Some Indigenous Peoples in Canada have used the term Red Road to signify living a life that focuses on spirit and love. This bridge reminded me of the importance of this idea as I walk a path of healing. To do this in a good way, I needed to have an open heart and spirit, while embracing learning with love and gratitude. Later that same day, I had the honour of crossing to the other side of the river and going to hear Phyllis Webstad, Agness Jack, Rose Wilson, and Chief Fred Robbins speak on the grounds of the Residential School. As I stood looking up at the formidable building, I heard the whispers of children in the wind and felt a great sense of pain and grief for the loss of these precious lives. I thought of my grandfather who had lived in a “hospital” that looked similar and the generational trauma that had resulted from the racism he experienced.
I turned to see the area where they found the 215 bodies and understood my role in ensuring that the truth was told so that history would not be doomed to repeat. It reminded me of Phyllis Webstad’s words in her book Beyond the Orange Shirt Story that “the Residential School experience and history is not only Indigenous history, it is Canadian history. It is important for individuals to understand what took place in the Residential School System and the impact thereafter, so that it never happens again. What is forgotten, is often repeated.”1
As I stood on the grounds of the Kamloops Residential School, I felt my responsibility to 7 generations before me and 7 generations after to heal this deep wound by raising my voice and attempting to build bridges of love and respect for our oneness.
This led me to realise that before a bridge can be built, it requires a strong foundation on both sides to support it. This foundation is truth. Both Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Peoples must build a foundation based on truth, acceptance, acknowledgement, open hearts and minds, and love for a bridge of unity to be built. It requires each of us to accept responsibility for learning about the truth of Canada’s history and to begin to see our role in healing so that a bridge of understanding and unity can be built. Phyllis Webstad also shared that “Reconciliation is only the beginning and everyone has their own understanding of what it means. The truth needs to be told, understood, and accepted before Reconciliation is possible.”2
