NATIONAL CENTRE FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION cont.
"Indigenous women have amazing strength. We are powerful humans in every aspect of our being."
– Edna Elias
“Indigenous women have amazing strength. We are
to withhold. And yet, we had that willpower to survive.” While hearing from all Survivors is essential, some experiences took place at residential schools that were uniquely female. A girl's first period, for instance – an event that can be shocking, confusing and even traumatizing. Imagine going through that transition in a foreign place without a trusted person to turn to or a female family member to explain its significance. A girl’s journey into womanhood in Indigenous cultures is often marked with ceremony and celebration, rites of passage that were stolen from girls in residential schools. Carrying the burden of being stripped of identity, culture, language and community while also being subjected to and
witnessing various forms of abuse had a profound impact on women who became mothers. A recurring theme in conversations with Survivors about motherhood is that they had to put their own suffering aside to nurture others, something that was not always possible and has contributed to the egregiously high number of Indigenous children in care. “As mothers, we are the ones who are inherently the natural first teachers to our children,” says Florence Paynter. “For many Survivors, that role and responsibility was a challenge because the experience at residential schools went against these principles of caring and nurturing children through the different stages of their lives.”
powerful humans in every aspect of our being. We endured and survived pain, none greater than childbearing, and we're also so powerful that we can empathize with others in a deeper way,” says Edna Elias. “I think we understand each other better. We find it easier for our emotions to be understood by one another than by our male counterparts because our emotions are different, and we express our emotions a lot more freely. Being nurturers, we encourage each other to open up and support each other and let the emotions flow. Especially with our children, we want them to be open and not withhold all that they're experiencing like we were forced
6 CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Powered by FlippingBook