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Re-Living the Residential School Experience

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Re-Living the Residential School Experience RE-LIVING THE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL EXPERIENCE: AN ANISHINABE KWE’S EXAMINATION OF THE COMPENSATION PROCESSES FOR RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SURVIVORS 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 ARTS AND SCIENCE Trent University Peterborough, Ontario, Canada ©Copyright by Valarie G. Waboose Indigenous Studies Ph.D. Graduate Program May, 2016 ABSTRACT Re-Living the Residential School Experience: An Anishinabe Kwe’s Examination of the Compensation Processes for Residential School Survivors Valarie Grace Waboose The residential school legacy is one of the darkest chapters in Canadian history. From the mid-1850s to 1996, thousands of Aboriginal children were taken from their homelands and placed in residential schools. Taken against their will, many dreaded attending these schools. Some attended for as long as ten to fifteen years, only to be strangers in their own communities upon their return. In the past thirty years, survivors began disclosing the loneliness, confusion, fear, punishment and humiliation they suffered within these institutions, and also reported traumatic incidents of sexual, physical or emotional abuse. These childhood traumas still haunt them today. This dissertation examines the four compensation processes (Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Independent Assessment Process and the Common Experience Process) used by survivors to determine whether the compensation payments made to them assisted in reconciliation of their residential school experience. To complete an analysis of the processes, twenty-four residential school survivors from Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia were interviewed about their experiences with one or more of the compensation processes. The study begins with a historical overview of the residential school legacy and continues with the residential school healing movement that initiated and finalized a negotiated settlement agreement for all living survivors. ii This dissertation provides a unique perspective to the residential school legacy by using a cultural framework, Anishinabe teachings and concepts to share the voices of residential school survivors. The pivotal Anishinabe teaching within this study comes from The Seventh Fire prophecy. This prophecy states that: “If the New People will remain strong in their quest, the Waterdrum of the Midewiwin Lodge will again sound its voice.” In this dissertation the residential school survivors are the New People. As the dissertation unfolds the author utilizes various Anishinabe concepts to illustrate how the compensation processes failed to assist the New People to reconcile with their residential school experience. This study presents a medicine wheel understanding of reconciliation and the Residential School Legacy. It concludes with an important message to the second and third generation survivors to continue the reconciliatory efforts that the New People introduced. It is crucial that the children and grandchildren of the New People begin the reconciliation process not only for themselves but for the next seven generations. Key words: reconciliation; Anishinabe; Seven Fires Prophecy of the Anishinabe; the Waterdrum; Medicine Wheel; Indian residential schools; Indian residential school survivors; residential school compensation iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Before all other things I want to thank the Creator for guiding me through this work. Without the strong spiritual guidance that I felt throughout this research, it would not have been able to persevere and listen to the stories told to me. For this strength and guidance I say chi-meegwetch. Secondly, I want to thank my parents, both of whom were residential school survivors. My mother, Jeanette bah, danced into the spirit world before this work was completed. My mother was my one true cheerleader. She made me feel that this work was important and gave me inspiration and determination. She taught me that determination and hard work pay off. My father, Eldridge bah, who is also in the spirit world is always by my side. Orphaned as a child, he taught me the importance of family. He came to every family gathering regardless of where we were. He was the rock that our family leaned on. I want to also acknowledge my two daughters Selphinia and Lianna, who have grown to appreciate the importance of education. Chi-meegwetch to both of them for allowing me the time I needed to conduct this research. And also to my grandchildren whom I love dearly and to whom I look towards and say in my mind, “How could they have taken such young beautiful and innocent children?” I say meegwetch to my sister Linda who has always been there to share time with me. And to my niece Erica who shared herself and her beautiful children Kobee, Lucas and Hallee with me when I needed the grandmother within me comforted. I also want to acknowledge my friend, my mentor, my committee member, my Elder and my colleague Shirley Williams. She has shown me the resilience that our people possess by her amazing example. Also chi-meegwetch to the other two committee iv members Lynne Davis and Mark Dockstator. I selected them for specific reasons and they did not let me down: Lynne kept me on track while Mark continues to dazzle me with his brilliant legal mind. Both have provided me with the support and direction that I needed. Last but not least, I want to thank the twenty-four residential school survivors that made this work possible. From Walpole Island: the late Rita Kiyoshk bah, Louis Johnson bah, Ronald K. DeLeary bah, Sylvia DeLeary, Vivian Kicknosway, Muriel Basque and Susie Jones. From Chippewa of the Thames, Alfreda Henry bah; From Manitoulin Island, Gordon Shawanda. From Manitoba: Stan Morriseau, William McCallum, Bertha Halstrom, Joyce McFarlane, Lawrence Watt and Lawrence Okemaw. From British Columbia: Dorothy Ward, Dan Manuel Sr., Simon Moses, Mike Arnouse, Charlotte Ned, Ronald Ned, Sylvester Greene, Dave George and Patsy Gregoire. Thank you for allowing me into your homes, your communities and your hearts. The knowledge gained from you will never be forgotten. I appreciate all that was shared with me during our short time together. Your words will forever have a place in my heart. You have made my dream a reality. I also want to say chi-meegwetch to my best friend Pauline Terbasket, for taking me into her territory (the Okanagan Valley) and introducing me to the survivors for this study. A chi-meegwetch to Jennifer Wood from Manitoba Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs office, for assisting me in locating survivors to interview in the City of Winnipeg. I also want to thank Suzie Jones from Walpole Island, for her gracious help. Her unwavering assistance was greatly appreciated and her continued dedication and work with residential school legacy are deeply admired. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 An Introduction to the Indian Residential System 2 1.2 Personal Connection to the Topic 6 1.3 Research Focus 8 1.4 A Midewiwin Anishinabe Kwe Perspective 12 1.5 An Anishinabe Framework: The Waterdrum 15 1.6 The Four Visions 20 1.7 The Organization of the Study 23 2.0 The Birth of the Waterdrum: Anishinabe Concepts 26 2.1 Time: Past, present and future 30 2.2 Circular vs. Linear Worldview 32 2.3 Medicine Wheel 33 2.4 Interconnectedness 34 2.5 Relationships 35 2.6 Layers of Knowledge 36 2.7 Transference of Knowledge 37 2.8 Successive Inter-generational Layering of Knowledge 42 3.0 Taking Away the Waterdrum: Colonization and the Residential School Legacy 47 3.1 The Original Way of Life 48 3.2 Life in a Residential School 49 3.3 Theories Explaining the Aftermath of the Residential School Legacy 57 3.4 The Healing Journey 69 3.5 Resilience 72 3.6 Reconciliation 73 4.0 In Search of the Waterdrum: History of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement 81 4.1 The New People Create a Space 83 4.2 The Residential School Survivors Movement 88 4.3 The Churches 90 4.4 The Federal Government 92 4.5 The Assembly of First Nations 103 4.6 The Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement 106 vi 5.0 Finding the Pieces of the Waterdrum: Methodology 111 5.1 Anishinabe Methodology 112 5.2 Qualitative Research Methodology 130 6.0 Sounding the Waterdrum: The Story of the Processes 135 6.1 The Voices of the New People 136 6.2 The Voices Spoke Loud and Clear 156 7.0 The Voices within the Waterdrum Spoke to Me: Moving Generations Forward 168 7.1 Findings of the Study 168 7.2 A Message to the Younger Generation: It’s not Over 180 7.3 The Giveaway Ceremony 182 7.4 The Travelling Song 188 vii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: Anishinabe Waterdrum 18 FIGURE 2: The Four Quadrants of the Medicine Wheel 33 FIGURE 3: Layers of Knowledge 39 FIGURE 4: Successive Intergenerational Layers of Knowledge 43 FIGURE 5: Levels of Understanding 46 FIGURE 6: Disruption of the Transfer of Knowledge 68 FIGURE 7: Childs Layers of Knowledge upon Entering Residential School 158 FIGURE 8: Replacing Disrupted Layers of Knowledge 160 FIGURE 9: Residential School Survivors Healing Wheel 184 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1: Diagnostic Criteria for Residential School Syndrome 66 BIBLIOGRAPHY 190 APPENDIX 1: Reconciliation of the Residential School Experience Information Sheet 203 APPENDIX 2: Letter of Informed Consent 204 APPENDIX 3: Feedback Form – Research Topic: Reconciliation of the Residential School Experience 206 APPENDIX 4: Research Questions 209 APPENDIX 5: Recommendations from Chapter 10, Volume 1, Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 210 APPENDIX 6: Apology from United Church of Canada 212 viii APPENDIX 7: Apology from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Canada 213 APPENDIX 8: Apology from the Anglican Church 215 APPENDIX 9 “Our Confession” Presbyterian Church of Canada 216 APPENDIX 10: Government of Canada: Statement of Apology 218 APPENDIX 11: Schedule “N” of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.
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