Residential school survivors share their stories at Truth and Reconciliation event in Vancouver

The young girl, whose mother had died in childbirth, was being cared for by her aunt and uncle. “But I came into the wrong hands when I was six,” Flanders told attendees at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission this week. As TRC commissioners Marie Wilson and Chief Wilton Littlechild listened, Flanders described the sense of sheer isolation and loneliness that she felt as a boarding student at St. Michael’s Indian Residential School in Alert Bay. For 10 years, she missed out on typical childhood experiences, like knowing what it was like to celebrate a birthday, or going home to see her family for Christmas. “I felt so alone,” she said, through tears. As Flanders shared her story, her sons sat on either side of her, reaching over at times to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Now I can say to myself that I’m not alone,” she told audience members, many of them shedding tears themselves. Some talked about the ways in which their experiences continue to haunt them.

An unequal education John Woods/CP The two schools sit a mere five kilometres apart as the crow flies, in a rural stretch of Manitoba about four hours west of Winnipeg. Their soccer teams compete every spring. Until about 18 months ago, a student in Waywayseecappo received about $7,300 in annual funding from the federal government, while a student at Rossburn Collegiate received about $10,500 from the provincial government. After three years of talks, Aboriginal leaders in Waywayseecappo persuaded the provincial and federal governments to let them join the local school board, effectively transforming their Aboriginal students into provincial students. While the transformation of Waywayseecappo has been remarkable, in much of the country Aboriginal students on reserves receive about a quarter less funding for their primary school education than other Canadian children. In principle, Canada’s Parliament believes this is repugnant. There is certainly no shortage of cash-strapped reserve schools.

The Legacy of Indian Residential Schools Last week, Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Jim Prentice stated a final compensation package for Indian residential school survivors was only days away. But rather than rushing through a deal brokered by the previous government, Prentice should re-consider the "common experience payments". Last year the previous federal government announced they signed an agreement with the Assembly of First Nations to negotiate a $1.9-billion lump sum payout to all - approximately 86,000 - living former students of Indian residential schools. The "common experience payment" of $10,000 would be paid all former students. By signing the agreement, the federal government signals that all residential schools were bad and no student ever benefited from attending them. The idea of residential schools being systematically horrendous can be heard in the words of aboriginal leader and professor Phil Lane. But is this really the case Even aboriginal support for the system persisted long into the 20th century.

The residential schools American Indians Today/Current problems Current problems To get a realistic impression of an ethnic community, it is absolutely necessary to look at its seemy side and to analyze its problems. Due to the fact that the reservations in the USA are on a different level of development, their problems are varying and of different graveness. But in many cases one problem produces the next, so there is definitely no shortage of worrying aspects among the American Indians in the reservations as well as outside. Bad job conditions at the reservations, exploitation and environmental destruction Today there are only 52 million acres left from the original American Indian homeland of the about 6.1 billion acres that form North America and this trust land is mostly of inferior quality: the BIA took an investigation about the erosion on American Indian tribes land and considered the state of 12 million acres crucially, 17 million gravely, 24 million gently affected as to that. Lack of education and poverty Social challenges Mental health

This article is very changing, because a lot of the victims share their storys and what they had to go through to in these schools to be able to survive. Many survivors share that they had losed a great part of their childhod meaning that they could not play anymore but they only had school and it was a long time before seeing theur parents due to the fact that they were attending these schools. by ionescuhanes Oct 31

In this link, the lady explains how she got treated in the residential schools. It very brutal because she got abused for years as a child. In sweetgrass basket, Sarah and Mattie were explaining how they were getting treated during the whole book. Some teacher would abuse them less but there were some that were very strict and cruel. by shaynuswardus Oct 31

I believe that these survivors are truly heroes, first because I believe that nobody should deal with this kind of abuse and violence. Also after being abused for years as a child they found the courage to relive these events by telling them to everybody, and trying to ware awareness. Alot of people are uneducated on the past of Canada regarding aboriginals and residential schools, and how some Native Americans are now scared for life. by coteb Oct 29

This article is very disturbing, because many survivors share their story and what they had to fo through to survive. Many survivors share that they lost all of their childhod due to the fact that they were attending these schools. by marsolaismartel Oct 25

In this article, residential school survivors share their stories of what is was like to be in the residential schools. They were taken away from their families at a very young age and experienced a lot of trauma due to these schools. This article is relevant and is also very emotional because the stories included are tragic and unfortunately all true. by scarpaleggiamaiorino Oct 24

We think that this source is realible, it has many quotes and is a very great example of a real residential school survivor story. It demonstrates the scars these aboriginal school survivors have and how they feel and live after they leave the school. We think it's a tragic part of our history, the woman who felt loneliness is a hero to us and many others. She helps the awareness of residential school to students and she encourages the other suvivors to talk about their experiences too. It's horrendous, to know what these schools have done to these Idians for example Morris can't even sleep in the dark because it reminds him of these awful memories he dealt with while he attended his residential school. by chenglaitung Oct 24

Comment:
This source brings us good examples of real Residential Schools survivors stories. From a very young age, they whent trough physical, psychological and emotional abuse.These events are still haunting them in their lives today and these memories are engraved in their minds forever. by serhanboulet Oct 22

This source brings out alot of emotions as we learn more about this woman's story. In this article, we can learn more about how the students lived and how they were psychologically and physically harmed. We also realise that during all the years they spent in resedential schools, the students missed out on their youths and once they we're back, it didn't feel like home anymore. by cotegiroux Oct 21

This article is a good source because it reviews in details the horrible stories of the survivors of the residential schools. They went thru intense emotional, psychological as well as physical scarring. And all this from a very young age up until now because the scarring is still somewhere deep in their memories. However, it is good that some survivors are willing to share these stories for the public to see and understand the horrors of residential schools. by biellowener Oct 18

Good source because we can read about acctual peple who has been abused by the residential schools, we have true witnesses witness. by lamarresebire Oct 17

this article shows us in great detail the horrid stories of survivors of some residential school were forced to live in. we learned that theses people were emotionally and sexually abused almost everyday for the most stupid reasons you could posibly think of. They were forced to forget their homes and families, their culture and religion everything that remiended them of their past. They lived in horrible cercomstances and most of these survivors were stripped of their childhood because some were taken at such a young age and now they are scared with alll the shame they had to take in for such a long perieod of time. by tousignanttchekilk Oct 17

This source is very emotionally charged but at the same time very interesting because the residential school survivor gives the truth about what she went through at that time and after, when the government didn’t help her, which is very informative. The story of the survivor tells a lot about what went on behind the residential school walls. by wangdulong Oct 15

We chose this article because this women’s inspirational story warmed our hearts. In general, these survivors are heroes. They survived through the cruelty and the difficult obstacles. It gives us a clear perspective of what they went through at the Residential schools. We now clearly understand how this traumatizing experience touched many lives. by grigorislarose Oct 15

Many native children were torn from their homes and were forced to attend the residential schools. It was not only required that they should learn an entirely new culture, they were forced to forget their own. Many experienced horrible situations at these schools and countless didn’t live to tell the world what happened. by bertoia.bobotis.dufresne. Oct 8

This lady tells her children the story about attending the residentials schools, she mentions that she was taken away from her parents at a young age, she felt alone and had no one to rely on. by mohsen.chartier Oct 8