One of the speakers was Beulah Wabasse. Beulah is a Child Mental Health Worker in Webequie. She attended Residential School in Moose Factory, Sioux Lookout, and Sault Ste Marie from ages 7-14.
During her talk at the Band Hall, Beulah spoke about the intergenerational impacts of Residential School. “When I was a teenager I felt like something wasn’t right from Residential School. I felt different,” she said. She often experienced flashbacks of the abuse she was subjected to at the schools.
When she returned home at age 14, her parents felt like strangers to her. She wanted to learn the traditions of her culture, but she felt like she couldn’t do it right after being forced to spend so much time away from her culture and community.
Beulah has found healing through workshops that she attended through work or found out about from her friends who also went to Residential School, but she is still on her healing journey.
“They can accomplish who they want to be”
Beulah is happy there are more resources today for kids who are experiencing the intergenerational affects of Residential School, and that there are traditional teachings available for them to listen to and participate in.
“I know they are all strong, they are all intelligent, they are smart. They can accomplish who they want to be,” she says of the youth in Webequie.
“All they have to do now is reach out and ask for help to a family member or someone else.”
More on Orange Shirt Day
Orange Shirt Day was started in 2013 by Phyllis Webstad from Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation who attended St. Joseph Mission Residential School in British Columbia. When Phyllis was six years old, her grandmother bought her a brand new orange t-shirt for school but when she arrived at Residential School it was taken away from her along with all of her other belongings.
On her website, Phyllis says that her orange shirt is a symbol of “the losses experienced by thousands of students, and their families and communities, over several generations including: loss of family, language, culture, freedom, parenting, self-esteem and worth and painful experiences of abuse and neglect.”