First Nations survivors recount trauma from Canada's residential schools

Survivors of Canada’s residential school system and their descendants are sharing personal accounts of the intergenerational trauma caused by these institutions. Cyril Morris, a First Nations community healer, describes his efforts to break the cycle of trauma within his family. His mother, Joan Morris, an elder from the Songhees Nation, endured physical and mental abuse at the Kuper Island Residential School.

Other survivors, including Vernon Jack and Steve Sxwithul’txw of the Penelakut Tribe, recount their experiences of being forcibly removed from their homes and the lasting impact of the school system. Sxwithul’txw is currently processing extensive documentation regarding his family’s history with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The accounts also highlight the complexities of identity and family connections for those affected by the Sixties Scoop, an era of mass Indigenous child adoptions. Survivors and their children describe the challenges of navigating cultural identity and the long-term psychological effects, such as PTSD and attachment disorders, resulting from the residential school system.