'I still struggle': Residential school survivors share stories during National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
People in Regina gathered at the Eagle Heart Centre on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. For the community, it's a time to acknowledge.
"I still struggle," said Beverley Vinterlik, a survivor of Gordon’s Indian Residential School.
For survivors like Vinterlik, it’s an effort to heal.
"A lot of us are probably still dealing with addictions, numbing ourselves so that we don't have to deal with reality,” she said. “A lot of us are trying to be invisible."
The community walks around the neighbourhood, for the children of Canada's residential schools who never made it home. The day is a reminder of a dark part of Canada's history.
According to Vinterlik, memories from that dark past have yet to fade.
"We knew about the sexual predators, as children we all talked, everybody knew what was happening,” she said.
“Everybody knew who the sexual predators were and we just knew as children, trying to be invisible and just not be seen, right...."
Vinterlik says survivors carry the pain and trauma experienced in residential schools throughout their lives. It's often carried in families for generations. The Eagle Heart Centre aims to help those families.
“We have adult mentoring, youth mentoring, we have a home visitation program as well,” Linda Anderson, spokesperson for Eagle Heart Centre said.
“It's about working with families to help them be in a better place."
Like survivors all over Canada, Vinterlik works everyday on a constant journey of healing.
"Our culture, our family, our way of life was stolen, taken from us,” she said. “I would love to see all of this put in the history books for future generations to learn."
While she waits for that day, Vinterlik says she will continue to share her truth. While the Regina community hopes to make steps, one foot at a time, toward reconciliation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.