Residential school Thrivers group encourages others to share, heal
CBC
As the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaches, a group of residential school survivors in Winnipeg are encouraging others to reach out and speak up.
"Because of where we are right now, as most of us are elders, seniors … you need somebody to be there, somebody to acknowledge what you're saying and somebody to understand where you've been. Because it's so powerful and it's so sacred," said elder Betty Ross.
Ross is from Pimicikamak Cree Nation, and is part of a residential school survivors peer support group in Winnipeg known as the Thrivers.
On Monday morning, a group of Thrivers were at Memorial Park in Winnipeg to help kick off Reconciliation Week — a series of residential school-related events being organized by Anish Corporation.
The events started with a sacred fire being lit inside a beautiful orange teepee inside the park, followed by a pipe ceremony that was held with knowledge keepers and Manitoba MLAs from both PC and NDP caucuses.
As a child, Ross attended the St. Joseph residential school — also known as Cross Lake residential school — for six years starting in 1951. She went to day school for five years, and then graduated from the Assiniboia Indian Residential School in Winnipeg.
She started attending the Thrivers program three years ago and said that she appreciates being around people with similar experiences.
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