The Courage of a Community

By Colleen Patterson

It is spring in Inuvik, the days are getting longer, the ice roads are thawing and many of the community’s residential school survivors are preparing to share their truths with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the first time.

From June 28 to July 1, 2011, survivors of residential schools in the North will gather in and around the Midnight Sun Complex and Jim Koe Park to finally speak about what happened to them as children.

“Today many aboriginal people are still too timid to speak out about the pain and suffering experienced in the government-run residential schools, but that has to change,” says Inuvialuk Elder John Banksland.

John is a member of the TRC Indian Residential School Survivor Committee and he knows firsthand that it takes a lot of courage for people to tell a story they have been keeping inside most of their lives. John was born in Ulukhaktok and spent 15 years in residential schools. Eleven of these years were spent in Aklavik and four in Yellowknife.

“Residential schools created a lot of pain and suffering for survivors and their families. People have been carrying around this hurt their entire lives. The TRC Northern National Event will be a chance for them to get it off their chests and start healing.”

The TRC is using the Seven Sacred Teachings as themes for their events. For Inuvik, the TRC Survivor Committee has selected Courage. John explains that even though these teachings did not originate in the

North, they are still relevant.

“It is time for us to be strong enough to talk about our experiences and that takes courage. Many survivors have passed on without the opportunity to share what happened and how it impacted them. For the first time, the TRC is giving us that chance. Those of us who are ready to talk about it are rising up and speaking. It is helping us to realize that we don’t have to keep living this way.”

The Northern National Event provides a forum for the TRC to receive statements related to Indian Residential School (IRS) experiences. In June, hundreds of survivors will gather in Inuvik to participate in Traditional Ceremonies and Sharing Circles with the TRC Commissioners and Survivor Committee.

The Event will also serve to educate and enrich the broader Canadian public on the history of IRS schools and provide opportunities for gestures of Reconciliation.

The TRC anticipates not only survivors, but many other members of the general public will attend. Through this event, the courage and resilience of residential school survivors and their families will be shared with Canadians from coast to coast to coast.∞ t he opening ceremonies will begin on June 28th with the lighting of the Sacred Fire with ashes from the Sacred Fire that burned during the Winnipeg national event last year. If you are interested in attending or would like to volunteer please visit trc. ca for more information or contact Marie-Anick elie at marieanick.elie@trc.ca or 678-8608.