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Concerning the Walpole Island Residential School Survivors Group

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Concerning the Walpole Island Residential School Survivors Group Reflections and Memories: ‘Resiliency’ Concerning the Walpole Island Residential School Survivors Group A Dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Indigenous Studies TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright by Theresa Turmel Indigenous Studies Ph.D. Graduate Program September 2013 ABSTRACT Gaagnig Pane Chiyaayong: Forever, We Will Remain Reflections and Memories: ‘Resiliency’ Concerning the Walpole Island Residential School Survivors Group Theresa Turmel From 1830 to 1996, Canada pursued a policy of removing Indigenous children from their families and educating them in residential schools. In coming to terms with the harsh and abusive treatment they endured, many survivors from residential schools have formed organizations to support each other and to make their experiences known. This project is a result of a participatory, community-based partnership with one such group in southwestern Ontario, the Walpole Island Residential School Survivors Group (WIRSSG), many of whom attended Shingwauk Indian Residential School. Like most of the survivors of the WIRSSG, I am Anishinaabe but did not attend residential school. The survivors invited me to deeply listen to their life experiences in order to learn about their resiliency. Guided by traditional Anishinaabe teachings and using an Anishinaabe methodology, I interviewed thirteen survivors and considered their life stories within the context of the traditional Anishinaabe life cycle. In their descriptions of resiliency, what became clear to me was that they were describing life force energy. This life force energy is innate and holistic, and can be found within each of us. It manifests within all of our relations: land, animals, plants, ancestors and other people. The life force energy cannot be extinguished but can be severely dampened as was evident in the attempt to assimilate residential school students. From their accounts, we learn that students found ways to nurture their life force energy through relationships and acts of resistance. As ii they have continued on their life path, they have reclaimed their spirit and today, they are telling their stories and keeping this history alive for the benefit of future generations. Key words: Anishinaabe; Anishinaabe Mino-bimaadiziwin; Residential Schools; Aboriginal Residential School survivors; Indian Residential Schools; Indian Residential School survivors; life force energy; resilience; resiliency; resiliency theory; Walpole Island Residential School Survivors Group; Shingwauk; Shingwauk Indian Residential School iii Dedication This is dedicated to all the residential school survivors everywhere. If you are a survivor and you are reading this work, please seek support if required. iv Acknowledgements I want to acknowledge that I have been privileged and honoured in being accepted into no less than three families in my lifetime. Included in this acceptance has been the important sense of belonging that we all crave. The first family is my immediate family. I most sincerely thank my husband, Mike, for his understanding and support. Forever – I will hear his words, “Get your work done!” and lament at my sadness of having to leave him yet again and travel one more time to either Walpole Island or Peterborough, and my wish to not to be gone so long and explain that I might be gone even longer, perhaps face bad weather and that may delay my return, and hearing him say, “I’d rather miss you for one night than for the rest of my life” gives me a warm, happy feeling. I must acknowledge my beautiful adult children, John, Danielle and Chantal for their unwavering support while listening to my complaints. John, my son, on hearing these complaints would say, “Ma, did you think that they were just going to hand you that paper?” My daughter Danielle, who shares my love of books, recently remarked that she was promoted at work and has to oversee co-worker’s grammar and spelling mistakes and blamed me for her gift of literacy. My daughter, Chantal, is probably one of the most beautiful and resilient people I know. I am most proud of my children and grateful to the Creator in that we were chosen to have them bestowed onto my husband and I. My adult children are the bright lights in my life and my grandchildren, Ariel, Alexandra, Dylahn, and Emma-Leigh are my Northern Lights that shimmer and glow. They are young ones, precious beings who nurture and feed my soul with their spirit and joy. I drink from their happiness and silent beauty. v I must also acknowledge the support and encouragement I received from my brothers, Chief Joe Buckell and William Buckell and finally, I pay homage and hallmark to my late mother, Angeline Buckell for if it were not for her guidance and support from beyond, I would have not embarked on and completed this journey. The second family I must acknowledge is my Shingwauk Family. I am grateful that these special people accepted and welcomed me into their arms. I got to know my then new family in 1991 and over the past twenty-one years count them among “all my relations.” Michael Cachagee once said to me, “Theresa, you are a child of Shingwauk now, you graduated from Algoma University.” Shirley Horn once referred to me as “a pillar of strength” for the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association and this is possibly the most wonderful compliment that I have ever received from anyone in my life and I say “chi miigwech, Shirl!” There are so many of the Children of Shingwauk I count among my supports; the late Dorothy Cunningham, the late Donald Sands and his wife Elaine, the late Ernest ‘Smitty’ McGraw and his wife Stella, Michael Cachagee, Irene and Gerry Barbeau, Susie and Vernon Jones, Marjorie Lee and her late husband Robert, Patrick Isaac, Jean Jones, Gloria Harris and her ma, Christine (Butterfly) Wesley, Gerry Martin and his partner Mary Lou Auger, Daisy Kostus, Francis Luther, Shirley Horn, Irene Piche, Gary Taylor, Betty Lou Grawbarger, Frances Beaupre, Nellie Mitchell, Ron Howard Sr. and his wife, Ev, Rod Andrews, Susannah Schmidt, James R. Miller, Charlene Howard and the late Judelon Jefferies and yet there are so many more so please excuse me if I have not mentioned you, missing you here is not intentional. It is because of their patience, understanding and love that I have been gifted with their teachings, guidance and kindness. vi In addition I must acknowledge the younger sibling of the Shingwauk Family who reside at Walpole Island, the Walpole Island Residential School Survivor Group. Susie Jones is the leader and it was with her instruction, strength, and guidance as the project liaison (which was imperative) that infused the wonderful experience I had as an old friend getting reacquainted with the Walpole Island community. It was a joy to be invited to Walpole Island with its active synergy and tremendous beauty. I would like to thank the late Leonard Kicknosway, Bill Blackbird, Jennie Blackbird, Joanne Day, Una Day, Buster Deleary, Sylvia Deleary, Uriah Dodge, Mary Gilbert, Eric Isaac, Patrick Isaac, Louis Johnson, Susie Jones, Vernon Jones, Susan Carr, and Geraldine Robertson. I could not have completed my final narrative without their understanding and generosity of their time. Walpole Island and its inhabitants have a special place in my heart and it was reassuring to find one of my ancestors there to welcome me. My third family is my Trent University family. I have shared this journey with three colleagues, Alexandra Thomson, Dr. Susan McBroom and Karen Watts whom I sincerely appreciated their generosity and confidence in me. My sincere appreciation goes to four women who consented to sit as my dissertation committee: Dr. Lynne Davis, Professor Emeritus Elder Shirley Williams, Susie Jones and Dr. Paula Sherman. Elder Shirley Williams deserves special recognition for her generosity of her time and being the translator for this special project. Special recognition should also go to Susie Jones who guided me throughout the process and acted as my main advisor at the community level. I must also acknowledge and thank Elder Doug Williams as he possesses many gifts and his gift to me was the time that he has taken to be one of my traditional teachers in making me feel special. I have met many wonderful people at vii Trent in the last five years and they are Dr. Rory Coughlan, Dr. Stephen Katz, Dr. Paula Butler, Erin Davidson, Hilary Svatos, Carolyn Johns and the hard working Aramark team in Robinson Hall. In conclusion, I’d like to acknowledge the wonderful support and financial contributions I received from my Band, Michipicoten First Nation and Casino Rama’s Awards of Excellence for their unwavering belief in me. There is a special group of individuals to whom I would like to say thank you to as well. They are the late Mary Grotowska, the late J. Murray Valois, Julie Valois, Jake Pine, Kara Heffell and my best friend, Catherine McAteer. I shall never forget the time, teachings, support, words of encouragement and generosity I felt during my lifelong journey and I will always acknowledge your contribution to the essence of my being. Thank you. Baa maa miinwaa. viii Table of Contents Abstract...............................................................................................................................ii Dedication...........................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgements..............................................................................................................v
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