Shubenacadie Indian Residential School survivor Clark Paul shares stories of his experiences at the residential school around Eskasoni's sacred fire.
"I'm glad they decided to honour the survivors," he said."I look forward to the future. I hope that our people will take this day as a teaching."Sitting around the sacred fire on Saturday morning with Paul were Michael Doucette and Thunder Herney. Doucette, one of the community members responsible for bringing Pow-wows and Mi'kmaw culture back to Eskasoni, says Truth and Reconciliation is about Indigenous people standing up together for a better future.
"I feel responsible to keep this knowledge alive, to pass it on to the next generation. I was raised around this stuff, sacred fires and sweat lodges," he said."It's the best way to learn; listen and get elders' teachings. I'll be an oldtimer soon, passing it on to the next.
Albert Marshall, an elder and residential school survivor from Eskasoni, was a guest of honour at Membertou First Nation's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation ceremonies."Today is a day when we remember all those young people who died only because of the colour of their skin or because they didn't speak English. Let's not let it go in vain. Let's take back what was taken from us.
From left, Eskasoni Chief Leroy Denny, Sydney-Victoria MP Jaime Battiste, A'Leah Young and Jolie Monahan-Christmas led the procession of Eskasoni's healing walk to a monument dedicated to those lost to the residential school system. MITCHELL FERGUSON/CAPE BRETON POST - Mitchell FergusonStudents at the residential schools lost their language and culture, so they couldn't pass it on to their children. Marshall says the cultural narrative needs to shift from preservation to education.
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