"As mothers, we are the ones who are inherently the natural first teachers to our children."
– Florence Paynter
Paynter expressed that she is grateful for the support she receives from her partner and family and that this support enables her to continue the difficult work of sharing her truth. “Women Survivors are leaders. Many of us have been leaders in our communities; many are educators and academics,” says Dorene Bernard. “We’re matriarchs, we're people that stand up for our families, and we've carried our culture, our language, our traditions, forward in spite of all the trauma from residential school, and the resulting trauma in our lives and experiences. We're very supportive of the healing journey for everybody, for all our communities.” While the end goal of the TRC and the resulting 94 calls to action is reconciliation, we've got a long way to go, and the onus is on each of us to play a role in getting there. The burden of educating the public about the harms of residential school should not fall on Survivors. Reconciliation is the responsibility of all Canadians, particularly those who were not directly impacted by the system. Our job is to listen to Survivors, learn from their truths and take concrete action to address the ongoing impacts.
"We still have a truth to tell, and the truth is not yet fully told."
– Phyllis Webstad
CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 7
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