How to talk to children about residential schools and the 215 Indigenous children found buried in mass grave
After the horrifying discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children in British Columbia last week, many parents across the country are struggling with how to talk to their children about it.
First Nation leaders in Waterloo Region say it's important to keep the conversation age appropriate.
Amye Annett-Werner, of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and member of the Cayuga Nation, Wolf Clan, says she eased her children into the discussion before attending a memorial in Brantford.
"It was a very heavy experience, to see that, to be there, to place it," she said. "We had a discussion and I asked them how they were feeling and we came up with some solutions of what we could do as a family to honour the memory of the children, their families and their communities."
For elders at Anishnabeg Outreach, the trauma of Canada's residential school system is an all-too-familiar household conversation.
"It isn't just surviving, it's, it's blood memory. Residential school is a blood memory from the beginning," said spiritual healer Shkaabaawis Sagassige Giizis.
Holistic consultant Jane Burning says the grim discovery is a reminder of family trauma.
"They have not found the words to be able to share with their children about what has happened yet," she said.
Burning hopes education and open conversation can lead to a better understanding between the two cultures going forward.
"We can learn from them about that connection and for these children not to focus on the trauma and the pain and the injustice but to see how we can connect as a whole and become something more," she said.
For Annett-Werner, experiencing the Brantford memorial helped her family come to terms with the grief.
"Anger, sadness, everything, everything just different waves of it," she said. "It's something that my parents didn’t have a choice to tell me either. What I would ask people is to step out of that privilege of not having the choice and to sit down with their kids."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING 122 active wildfires burning across Canada, 32 considered 'out of control'
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.
B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
'More aggressive': Tocchet shifts lineups as Canucks get ready to take on Oilers in Vancouver
As the Canucks prepare to take on the Oilers for Game 5, Vancouver head coach Rick Tocchet is making changes to the team's lineup.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
Police issue Canada-wide warrant for Regina homicide suspect
Police have issued a Canada-wide warrant for a man wanted in a homicide which occurred in Regina on May 12.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Kevin Spacey receives star support as he fights to get his career back
Kevin Spacey is pushing back on the 'rush to judgment' against him and is being backed by some big names as he seeks to reclaim his acting career.
Speaker cuts ties with Sask. Party, alleges he faced threats, harassment from gov't MLAs
The Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature Randy Weekes has severed ties with the Sask. Party after accusing some members of harassment and intimidation tactics, including a situation he claimed saw the Government House Leader bring a hunting rifle to the legislative building.