Turning the Page

Storytelling has been a fundamental part of Indigenous culture for generations.

Yet one of the lesser-known effects of the residential and day school system is that those who did survive were provided very little in the way of actual education. This created a generation of Indigenous Peoples who lacked the critical education and literacy skills necessary to enter workforces, navigate bureaucratic settings or write down their own stories. The shadow of these harmful schools has created an atmosphere of generational distrust in learning institutions to this day.

In 2021, Elders in the Snuneymuwx (Nanaimo) area came together with a single desire: to learn to read. So, The Literacy Circle (TLC) Society was formed to teach English literacy and basic math skills in a respectful way. Today, it’s programming provides self-paced education that supports Elders, adults, residential and day school survivors and intergenerational survivors, at no cost. TLC also created a Learner’s Advocate role responsible for organizing field trips, arranging transportation and providing hands-on support to learners by breaking down barriers incurred by systemic racism.

The Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) will contribute funding in 2025 to ensure the program remains accessible to the growing number of Indigenous Peoples seeking out TLC to improve their education. 

This year TLC is introducing a new program focused on story writing, a core part of Indigenous culture. This program was inspired by Kathy Jim, an Elder who passed away from cancer and decided to record her life experiences in a book for her grandchildren to ensure they would always remember her through her own stories.

Diocese of Victoria