Indigenous survivors tell their ‘revitalizing’ stories
As an adopted child of the ’60s Scoop, Raven Sinclair experienced the trauma of disconnection from her family and community, but she found her way back to the place she belongs.
As a PhD expert in what she calls the Indigenous child removal system, Sinclair is a font of information about the policies and legal systems that continue to separate Indigenous families. For an audience of mainly Indigenous community members on Wednesday in Saskatoon, she also described her personal journey of reconnection.
It was a path through many years of therapy, which she says saved her life, along with a university education in psychology and social work, and the soul satisfying discovery of Indigenous knowledge and spirituality.
“Despite the challenges, I wouldn’t change a thing,” Sinclair told attendees at the Indian and Metis Friendship Centre’s Revitalizing From Our Grieving Spirit conference, which continues until Friday.
All are welcome to attend the conference. Admission is free and light meals are provided. Elders and support workers are available for those who find the discussions open the doors to their own grief.
Conference co-organizer Arnold Naytowhow, a residential school survivors support worker, said he and other programmers at the Friendship Centre wanted to draw in community members affected by the big issues facing many Indigenous people: trauma from residential schools and their intergenerational effects, foster care and adoption, elder abuse and missing and murdered women, girls and LGBTQ2S, and men too.
It’s a time to hear the stories of those who have survived the negative impacts of colonialism and thrived despite the struggle, Naytowhow said.
“There’s a lot of intergenerational trauma. We need to keep healing, revitalizing even though we’re still grieving, to validate that and awaken our spirit.”
Attendee Kevin Sutherland said hearing the stories of painful lives, survival, strength and dignity is a valuable learning experience.
“If you do experience it in the future, it’s survivable and there’s strength and courage and wisdom and knowledge that can be learned and gained from them,” Sutherland said.
Indigenous studies teacher Belinda Daniels brought her Grade 10 and 11 students to the conference because hearing heartfelt stories directly from people who lived them is a powerful educational experience, she said.
“To hear these stories right in front of you, in real life, in the present moment gives my students real skills. ‘How do I deal with this emotion?’ It definitely matters because we do come from a core system of knowing and it’s important our children know how to tap into that knowing in order to move forward when it comes to healing.”