Guiding young Indigenous Peoples to develop skills tied to their traditional culture through hands-on learning is the oldest form of knowledge sharing in Indigenous communities. Whether through storytelling or practical guidance, it builds bonds between the youngest and eldest and fosters pride in one’s community. This is how communities keep ancient traditions alive and instill sacred teachings in the next generation.
For generations, the people of Frog Lake First Nation in Alberta have carried their history, language, and teachings through stories that have been spoken, sung, and shared around fires and in family homes. Today, like many other Indigenous communities, that ancient and sacred knowledge is at risk of being lost forever. As many Elders age, Frog Lake’s history is disappearing with them.
Poor health, higher rates of chronic illness, and diminished mental well-being are only a few of the barriers Indigenous Peoples face when compared to the general population of Canada. Systemic challenges stemming from poverty, limited access to nutritious food, intergenerational trauma, and barriers to culturally safe care have led to Indigenous Peoples being left behind in the healthcare space.
The world outside our doors is vast and ever-changing. It can be difficult to navigate, especially for Indigenous Peoples who have grown up removed from major urban centres or those seeking to weave traditional values with modern culture. As Indigenous Peoples make more of their mark in the world, there is a need to prepare them to navigate these realties in a safe and supportive environment, while addressing fears that systemic traumas from colonial systems have imparted on them.
Voices of the Délı̨nę people have echoed across the land in stories told by the fire, songs sung in the Dene language, and through sacred teachings passed down through generations. Today, Dene voices are fading. Fewer than fifty Elders across the communities that make up the Délı̨nę Got'ı̨nę Government (DGG) in the Northwest Territories remain fluent.
The path of healing is an individual and ongoing journey shaped by personal experiences and needs. For many residents of the Granville Gates Supportive Housing for Seniors in British Columbia, the legacy of intergenerational trauma inflicted by the residential school system continues to harm.
The legacy of the residential school system continues to be felt by Indigenous communities across Canada. Survivors and descendants of the St. Mary’s Residential School in Mission, British Columbia have made a commitment to immortalizing their lived experiences in the book St. Mary’s: The Legacy of an Indian Residential School.
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.
