They are too young to have gone to the church-run residential schools that forced generations of aboriginals to abandon their language and culture.
But today's First Nations youth say the schools the federal government sent their ancestors to have cast a long shadow over their families and their communities.
"I wasn't able to learn my language. That was a big thing for me growing up," said Nicole York, 23, whose parents, grandparents and other relatives attended the schools.
"Because of the way my dad was treated ... not that he didn't want to teach me how to speak Cree, but for so many years he was forced not to, so for the longest time he never spoke to us in Cree."
York, who recently graduated from the University of Winnipeg, grew up on the Norway House reserve in northern Manitoba where, despite its remoteness, aboriginal culture and tradition had somehow been all but erased.
"So many teachings were lost because of the residential schools. We've just started having our powwows again. Norway House was very Christianized for a very long time."
Shylo Swan, 26, feels residential schools also took a toll by forcibly removing children from their parents during their crucial learning years.
"How are they supposed to know how to parent their child if they weren't taught from their own?" she asked.
Swan and York both talk about ripple effects far beyond the physical and sexual abuse that were widespread at the schools. They say the fact that generations of native students were essentially told that everything they believed in was wrong has caused many of their relatives to suffer self-doubt.
"The whole idea of keeping quiet and not saying anything and just trying to hide (your feelings), it's really sad," York said.
If there is a silver lining to the residential school legacy, it appears to be a renewed determination among many young aboriginals to protect their First Nations heritage.
"We have to teach our people ... to keep our culture and keep our language and teach the generations that are coming," Swan said.
"We can start trying to build up and bring back what we lost. I think this is a fresh new beginning."
3 comments:
The residential schools took a concerted effort and tremendous cost to the government.Why do they not treat the healing with the same zeal?
I'm sorry to say that no amount of money that the government gives out can heal our people from all the pain and torment that our people had went through. Our people had went through so much pain, for many many years our people had to struggle to remember who they were.
The residential schools have done so much damage to our parents and grandparents that the damage done will never be forgotten....we are survivors!
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