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Mental health experts stress the importance of reaching out to those who seem withdrawn and may be hurting.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
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Dozens of U.S. deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.