Shown, clockwise from bottom left: Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty, an opening song, Leah Albert (left) and Karen Whitecalf (BATC), and guest speaker Lorna Arcand. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Two-day conference

‘Gathering to Share Cultural Healing’ conference aims to bring residential school survivors together

Jun 29, 2022 | 6:00 PM

Residential school survivors and their families are coming together this week in North Battleford to begin to share their stories.

The Acahkos Awasisak: “A Gathering to Share Cultural Healing” Conference runs June 29 and 30 at the Western Development Museum meeting area.

Karen Whitecalf, the project manager for Indian Residential School (IRS) Searches for Delmas and the Battleford Industrial School, helped organize the event along with with Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Inc. (BATC)

“It’s a gathering for residential school survivors and their families, and anybody who is affected by the residential school era,” she said. “We just want to bring cultural healing to our First Nations of the Battlefords, and this is a good start. We are having good conversations here, good dialogue. I think it’s just a step towards bigger healing.”

People are attending from the Battlefords and surrounding communities, including the Prince Alberta area, Saskatoon, and Lloydminster.

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Whitecalf said initially organizers were trying to concentrate just on the Battlefords area, but many from neighbouring communities also wanted to take part, so the event brought even more people together.

Leah Albert is the executive assistant and researcher on the IRS Project with BATC and was instrumental in coordinating the Cultural Healing event.

“We’ve been planning since December,” she said. “It’s been a lot of work. I’m happy we have a good turnout.”

About 180 people are registered to take part over the two days. The conference is also being broadcast live on BATC’s Facebook Page. A gala dinner was planned for Wednesday evening.

Albert hopes the gathering is a step towards healing.

“I think it is important for residential school survivors who have lost their culture from the schools. Even for myself, my parents went to residential school and day school, so I’m learning too.”

During the conference, people attending heard about the long process of the searches for potential graves related to residential schools.

An update was planned on the former Delmas Indian Residential School searches, while new searches were expected to start this summer at the former Battleford Industrial School site.

As well, a number of residential school survivors were expected to share their stories during the conference.

“I think it will maybe help people open up more to share their stories because we do plan on going out to the communities too,” added Albert.

Cultural Advisor Lorna Arcand spoke at the event Wednesday about the “Saskatoon Survivors Circle” group, which she coordinates, to help survivors connect.

She said other communities that are planning to bring their survivors together can benefit from starting a similar group.

“I understand many communities are not ready because we spent so many years avoiding an ugly issue that none of us wanted to deal with. But we are opening up a little bit now because our kids are asking. I think we owe it to them to share the story of our people.”

Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie and Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty also attended the event.

“I believe this is the next step in bridging our communities,” Leslie said.

He added he believes he has a duty to come to this conference to show his support, and also to learn and understand the long-term effects of what residential schools have done on Indigenous people in the community.

“That allows me to be a better leader, and it allows me to make decisions in my community that are inclusive and sensitive to the needs of Indigenous people.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW