Language shapes a nation, a culture, an identity. It is how individuals connect with one another and communicate thoughts, feelings, fears and experiences. For many Haíɫzaqv Elders from Heiltsuk Nation in British Columbia, the language Háiɫzaqvḷa lives within them, connecting them to their ancestors.
For 60 years, St. Paul’s Indian Residential School operated in North Vancouver, where Indigenous children were removed from their families and forced through the gates under the guise of education. Many Squamish, Musqueam and Burrard children, along with others from communities as far away as Kyuquot on Vancouver Island, were taken. Its impact in the region was profound and its effects have been long-lasting.
Healing begins when we pause, reflect and take responsibility for the harms that have been done to others. For generations, the wounds of the residential school system have remained unhealed and unaddressed by those who perpetrated them. This has left Indigenous Peoples disconnected and lacking access to critical support systems needed to heal.
In 1927, George Leask was only 14 years old when he was forcibly taken from his family and placed in a Vancouver orphanage. He would never celebrate another birthday, dying only a month later. George’s story is not uncommon. In fact, it is tale too often told by Indigenous Peoples
The Shubenacadie Indian Residential School in Nova Scotia may no longer physically exist, but the spiritual imprints, echoes and voices of Indigenous children who passed through its doors remain. Today, the grounds serve as a testament to the experiences of those who attended and a reminder of the legacy it has made across Mi'kma'ki.
