Memories of residential schools, recent discoveries of unmarked graves taking mental toll on Sask. survivors
Whether its memories of attending them, or the recent discoveries of unmarked graves, residential schools haven taken a mental toll on many.
Del Crowe, is a residential school survivor who has tried to put the painful memories behind him. He was relieved to see Sir John A. Macdonald’s statue removed from Victoria Park.
“Well it’s in his term that the residential schools were actually invented,” Crowe said.
Other reminders are harder to avoid. Crowe spent his early school years at the Lebret Residential School.
Last year’s discovery of unmarked graves at several former residential school sites across Canada has been especially difficult for those who attended the schools.
“I’ve been aware of all of the horrors of residential schools for all of my whole life. I know these stories and I talked about it but nobody believes me,” Crowe said.
Now, people are beginning to see first-hand for themselves.
Dr. Renee Linklater, Senior Director of Shkaabe Makwa at CAMH, works in Indigenous mental health in Toronto.
“You know it has been a really challenging time for many people that have had their own experiences or have had family members that have been impacted by residential school,” Linklater said.
COVID-19 has made things even more difficult for those who experienced trauma at residential schools.
“You know, yesterday (Tuesday) was two years since we discovered the first COVID case within Canada and so thinking about you know kind of access people have to even being connected to others you know feeling really isolated, struggling with various mental health issues and wondering about our own survival, right,” Linklater said.
Mental health experts stress the importance of reaching out to those who seem withdrawn and may be hurting. They say a gesture of caring could ultimately be someone’s medicine.
--
If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.