In the evening of events surrounding the Official Apology, I called my mother, who is a residential school survivor. We talked for almost two hours. She had watched every newscast, every commentary about the apology that she could find on TV, over and over again. She was very emotional in a subdued but intense way. We discussed every speaker, what they said and didn’t say. We talked about my grandfather who went to residential school until after four years of trying to get through Grade three, they finally let him leave. We talked about many things, but after I hung up I realized that not once in the entire conversation did my Cree-speaking mother and teacher, who always speaks to me in Cree in the hopes that I will learn the language, not once did she speak a single word of Cree. That’s how I knew the enormity of what she was feeling.

I am the child of a second generation residential school survivor. I do not speak my language, my native tongue, and it was only as an adult that I was able to reconnect to the culture of my ancestors. Like other survivors, our family suffered the pain of disconnection with dysfunction, self-hatred, violence and abuse, neglect and addiction. Sometime after my great grandmother passed away, she who was a healer and medicine woman, our family identification with Cree culture was essentially obliterated by colonization. So even after multiple attempts to learn and reclaim our language (and therefore our world view, our values and way of being), I doubt that I will ever be able to restore what was lost. Culturally, I too am a victim of the genocide that was residential schools. But I do not lose hope. Especially after meeting the extraordinary ten men and women that are ArtsLink.

Their spirits shine so brightly and their courage is so inspiring that I cannot help but believe we will go on. The most astounding quality that all the ArtsLink artists have is their total and complete generosity. How anyone can continue to give when absolutely everything was taken from them is truly extraordinary and an inspiration to us all. I am truly humbled and blessed.

Most gratefully,

Carol Greyeyes