Jm Nmlsovsnue. HELENE JOHNSON
Métis Nation, Archerwill, Saskatchewan, 62
I I WAS FIVE when they took me to Île-à-la-crosse residential school in Saskatchewan. I was there for two or three years before they sent me to Montreal Lake school, north of Prince Albert. All eight of the children in my family went to those schools. We came from a very isolated community on the shores of Smoothstone Lake in Saskatchewan. I have very little memory of being in that first school. I don’t know why. I really get triggered when I see pictures of nuns in old habits, those Grey Nun habits. Montreal Lake, I’ve got a lot of memories from there. I was in there when my mother passed away. I was maybe 13? I cut all my ties with my siblings after I left the schools. I didn’t speak with them for years. It just didn’t seem important. Now, in the last 15 years or so, we’ve reconnected. My sister had moved to Nova Scotia. She had breast cancer. My sister-in-law phoned me and we went to visit her. I hadn’t seen her for 30 years. Every aspect of my life has been affected. Even this conversation has caused me anxiety. It gets very difficult at times. It’s one step at a time. I’ve sat on committees for 20 years. I’ve seen managers of institutions talk about residential schools and say, “Get over it.” But somewhere along the line, those same managers have begun to understand. They have more compassion. I smile every time I see them.
I cut all my ties with my siblings after I left the schools. I didn’t speak with them for years.