Bound by resilience: Residential school survivors not letting their past shape their future

VICTORIA -

As unmarked graves have been discovered throughout Canada over the last year, Canadians have learned about those who never made it out of residential schools.

But those who survived are working on not letting their past impact their future.

For survivors, they are hiding generations of pain.

"All I can see is that priest smiling down on me. I can't shake that memory from my head," said Eddie Charlie, who attended a residential school in British Columbia.

"Residential schools created some of the most perfect hate machines ever, and then released us back into the community."

What the black and white pictures from the schools don't show is the children's innocence that was lost.

"From age five all the way up to 12 (there) was constant sexual molestation from the priests, brothers, and the nuns," said Trudy Smith, who also went to a residential school in B.C.

Smith went to a school near Tofino called Christie School for half a decade. While there, she was beaten, sexually abused and even assaulted with a weapon.

"She went and got a hammer and a nail and she nailed my left foot to the floor. I couldn't move."

The raw brutality of Canada's Indian residential school system is front and centre as unmarked graves continue to be discovered throughout the country, including one found on Penelakut Island, in B.C. where Steve Sxwithul'twx went as a boy.

"It's a lot of tough history," said Sxwithul'twx, "I think about my mother who was there for years, my sisters who spent years there, and my uncles who all were forced into that environment."

Despite the pain all three people suffered, it is not their pain that connects them, it is their perseverance.

Charlie has overcome alcoholism to become a public speaker and a key part in creating Canada's first national Truth and Reconciliation Day.

"I believe by sharing my story, we allow healing to happen," said Charlie.

Smith has done years of counselling and has found some peace. She said she is preparing to write her story down.

"Taking away the pain for me was breaking the chains on my daughter and making sure she was never hurt," said Smith.

For Sxwithul'twx, he has taken his experience and turned it into a passion as he is a successful television producer where he works to amplify Indigenous voices.

"We look towards stories that enlightened us, that unveiled the things we've gone through, but at the same time how we can help with positive storytelling so our kids aren't bombarded with the same stuff we were bombarded with in school," he said.

If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419

Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.