CUREA – Gemini Gala – Truth andReconciliation and Fashion

By Kaniehtonkie

The following text contains material that might be difficult to read.

Saturday evening was an event for the record. Billed as The Gemini Gala, Truth, Reconciliation and Fashion, a by the Coalition for Unity, Respect, & Equality for ALL(CUREA), a racial justice and educational organization. CUREA's goal is to advance racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in Cornwall and the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry area. The evening's schedule included two panels; the first hosting Cornwall's Mayor Justin Towndale and MCA Grand Chief Abram Benedict being asked a series of questions to which each responded. The second was a panel of Cornwall City Counselors Carilyne Hébert, Fred Ngoundjo, and Lee Theodore, with social activist Dagraheydunggee of Akwesasne.

The evening was interspersed with fashion deigns by Lou Jeune – Loudelle, Farrah David – Belle Penny and Akwesasne's own Tina Thompson – Queena Ribbon Designs.

CUREA's Co-founder Michele Alinotte curated the first panel and stated, "Cornwall and CUREA – we have a long way to go in terms of truth and reconciliation. We look forward to building our relationship with indigenous community members community partners and organizations."

She asked both leaders the same questions and each provided very different answers, yet both leaders focused on building meaningful and productive relationships.

Towndale and Benedict were asked how do they work on building relationships.

Benedict said, "The challenges I face are many of the same challenges the mayor of Cornwall faces. It's about partnerships, we bring the focus to this region."

Another question asked was on the Truth and reconciliation 94 Calls to Action,

Benedict said, The Calls to Action are only words until acted upon.

Towndale talked about the municipal level to assure the city listens and respects opinions, saying, 'what happened is we aren't hearing others.' He also mentioned they are working on small things, that add up to meaningful changes. Such as their oath of office, land acknowledgement, and cultural sensitivity training.

When asked what reconciliation mean to them, Benedict stated, "The government has taken certain steps and has a long way to go, more learning more and understanding... We still have survivors today and they have been severely impacted. These Canadian institutions (residential schools) were funded by the Canadian government with policies created to assimilate the 'Indian.'

The Grand Chief shared a story of a community member who was upset – upset with the government. The community member told Benedict 'I was sent to a residential school and when I came home... I didn't know how to love. I didn't know love. I didn't know how to love my children.'

"This was a direct impact from being at a residential school. Just to think for one second, four-year old children were taken and sent to school and everything that they knew about who they were – their identity was taken from them. And their mission was to take that out of them. It's heart wrenching and it's real. That's not that long ago, the last residential school closed in 1996."

When asked what the 94 calls to actions means, Benedict said, "It's real, it's not fabricated...and to understand why sometimes there is so much trauma, it's because of what happened. In some places it's stronger and some places are more impacted than others. It's very far reaching. I can definitely tell you that being a community leader – it is generational. It continues today. My mission as the grand chief in my community is supporting the survivors, supporting their families as much as we can. And educate people about the realities, that this is not something that was made up and it is not something that is not real. And making sure government leaders, after the ones that are here today – that we never see this happen again in Canada."

Towndale added, "We can adapt some (Calls) to fit us whether provincial, federal or for a municipality. We all need adequate medical care – our entire region. We can help and partner together. Our mental health services, our social services. Making sure everyone is on the same page. We face the same challenges such as housing, homelessness, addiction. We can partner together."

Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Chief Ron Lafrance , as the keynote presenter titled his speech, 'The Hard Realities of Truth and Reconciliation,' during which Lafrance often said, "You can't make this stuff up."

As a third-generation residential school survivor, Lafrance's paternal grandfather had attended Thomas Indian School. As Lafrance spoke, he shared how his grandfather used to move from home to home to avoid being caught by authorities – when eventually his grandfather was caught by authorities and taken to Thomas Indian School. Not much later, his grandfather's brother was taken to Thomas Indian School and school authorities told his great uncle that his family had all died and never wanted the child anyway. From there, the child vowed never to return to Akwesasne... you can't make this up."

"There are people who don't know about residential schools. We live across the river. Countries around the world wanted Putin charged with war crimes. In 1990, the Yugoslavia leader waged ethnic cleansing on his own people. 1945, 21 German leaders were convicted and sentenced to death. On May 29th, 202,. 215 children were discovered in a mass grave in Kamloops residential school. No worldwide outcry. I could go on and on and on. I want to leave you with the burning question – why?"

A friend of mine, a residential school survivor asked to share this... There are so many omissions from the Truth and Reconciliation; no testimony from the abusers, no acknowledgement of guilt from the abusers. No criminal action taken against the abusers. Both the Anglican and Catholic churches were exempted from liability. Both the Anglican and Catholic churches are not required to open their archives. Sadly, no apology from our band councils. No acknowledgement or justice by the churches and thousands of survivors were denied compensation for failure to approve abuse. There was no consultation with survivors on programs.

Lafrance said, "I am third generation survivors for those who did. This is a story no family should ever endure. But it is a story of the resiliency of the Kanieńkehá:ka people.

Indian agents would chase them from home to home to home, until finally they were caught, and sent to Thomas Indian School.

I had to ask him if there were things he wished he hadn't witnessed. I don't know why, but I did.

His grandfather said when the lights went out was the scariest time of day. He said he tried with the older boys to protect the younger ones. Those who cried were taken away. The priest would come in the dorm, and at night take the crying children away... they were severely abused.

My grandfather told me another story of a five-year-old boy who was smacked so hard across the floor; he was knocked out. The boy was dragged to another room where the nun continued to beat him. My grandfather told me he never saw the boy smile again."

Then it dawned on me why I never heard him say to my grandmother, my father, my siblings "I love you." He didn't know what love was. Luckily, I do, because of my wife. I knew my grandfather loved us. I knew he loved my father."

I mentioned that he not only survived the concentration camp called residential school, but my grandfather also survived WWII and Bataan Death March. My grandfather survived and coped the way many did – he abused alcohol for most of his adult life.

My father was an only child – and he endured what most second-generation residential school survivors do.

Lafrance shared a story he had never told anyone; His mother was abused as thousands of others.

The pain she kept inside all those years must have been excruciating. To this day, I get infuriated when I hear stories of residential school survivors, I don't view them as stories but factual events. You can't make this stuff up. You can't block that memory from your mind.

In the tradition of my people, I will pass these stories down to my children and hopefully they will pass them down to theirs. The memories of my family and the people who have experienced those atrocities should never ever be forgotten.

In relaying these stories, it's my intention that history never ever repeats itself.

We want justice. We want justice to those who committed crimes against humanity to be brought to justice the same way they are still hunting down Nazi's today. We want justice for the more than 10,000 children who never made it home. We want justice for the children who survived these concentration camps only to have children and pass on the pain and suffering to them. We want the cycle to be broken.

We don't want your apologies. Like we offer your thoughts and prayers after children have been slaughtered.

Believe these stories. You can't make this up."

In setting an example of making things right, CUREA's president Tara Francis and organizers were remiss in sending out invitations and had inadvertently left out Ahkwesahsronon Shonatatenron – Akwesasne's residential school survivors' group. In the first act of 'working together in a true partnership, The Gemini Gala was smoothly and quickly changed to accommodate a speaker from Ahkwesahsronon Shonatatenron.

Ahkwesahsronon Shonatatenron (AKSHN) is a recently established community group seeking to research, document and commemorate the experience of residential school survivors. The Board of Directors is made up of seven community members from various backgrounds including Survivors themselves. Currently they also have two employees an Administrator/Financial Controller and Research Coordinator.

The mission of the Ahkwesahsronon Shonatatenron (AKSHN) is to tell the truth of the Mohawk community's experience at Indian Residential School through collaborative research, memorialization, and development of meaningful healing alternatives to rekindle the scattered embers in pursuant to traditional Haudenosaunee values.

Francis introduced AKSHN's representative herself, "I am a third generation to not attend a residential school."

Francis told Indian Time, "My vision is to bring non-indigenous and indigenous leaders together to continue the hard talks and acknowledge that there is a lot more work and more talks to be had to work towards truth & reconciliation. We have also offered to introduce the organization to media outlets in Cornwall so they can highlight the importance of the work that they do. I've also offered to plan something for national truth & reconciliation day for them as it is orange shirt day, a day of acknowledgment for residential schools and the survivors."

Doug George, Chairperson, wrote in an email, "On behalf of the Ahkwesahsronon Shonataten:ron I extend my gratitude for allowing us to address one of the most critical issues in our history: that of the taking of our children and their placement in residential schools and foster care homes. With the help of groups such as yours we are able to share our stories which are interwoven with the people of Cornwall. I look forward to working with you on enhancing our common heritage."

Dean George, a residential school survivor spoke eloquently of his experiences, the foundations of our traditions, culture, and lifestyles.

Dean George said, "I'm a survivor. I've been through residential school at an early age. But I survived it. And the way I survived it is when I went home, I went into my traditions and ways and that how I survived. But it's never really a complete healing. There is a lot healing that must go on."

He added, "In our traditional way of our healing, we have what you call the Great Law – the Kaienerakowa. During times of great war, the Peacemaker taught us how to conduct ourselves in a good way using skennen, kasatstenhsera and kanikonhriio"

In English, in its most simple translation the three words mean "peace, righteousness and reasoning' with a good mind. Many Haudenosaunee scholars translate the three words as 'concepts' an objective, rather than an achieved state. Such as kasatstenhsera is measured by assessing several areas: generosity and collective thinking. The concept can mean "the power of peace." It is the power to get things done.

George stated, "Using good minds and good words to carry on our teachings."

He added, "We are working with communities. A lot of healing that has to go on. We want to go into schools, but how do you explain what happened to us in school."

"We are ready to work with each other, when we work together, the easier it gets. It is a heavy load."