The west central region got a special speaker last week at the Kerrobert Library just in time for the first National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. Tony Stevenson, who hails from the Cote First Nation, tours all over the province to talk about the legacy of the residential schools, and dispel the misconceptions and myths that the majority of people believe that the schools were good for his people.  

“I show by way the narratives of both former students who were there in the 40s and the 50s. I then fast forward to 1980 to 1990. The years I was there and also the people that I was acting as a representative for during the independent assessment process, which was a compensation process set out to compensate the former students of the victims that were victims of sexual and physical abuse.” 

Stevenson went on to explain why he shares these stories to those he feels are being misinformed about the history of residential schools. 

“These are the subjects I speak mainly on, the relationship and the understanding start at the grassroots. We have to be more educated on where we come from, because as a Canadian you should know your history, the real history. Not the made-up history that made these residential schools look like they were beneficial to our people. Also they never included the basics of the Treaties, the basic concept and sanctity of the meaning of that agreement between the settlers (their forefathers) and First Nations. The settlers created the greatest misconception that First Nations were savages and needed saving. Unfortunately, that attitude and mindset is still alive. That needs to change and the only way to change is to educate yourself. If your proud to be Canadian and call yourself one, then you should also own the terrible history upon which this country was founded on as it seems to "some" have never quite learned from their past mistakes.

"I would like to add that no elected First Nation chief, council member, or the token self proclaimed elder, speaks on my behalf, as many of the grass roots First Nations survivors were absent during the negotiations of the compensation process. These Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) leaders seem to soak in the general public's empathy as they look for more ways to keep their positions of profitability. This also includes the majority of our own First Nation lawyers, they took full advantage of the survivors in their moment of need. This process failed the residential school survivors on so many levels. There are a "few" survivors that state they had a positive experience and good for them, I am happy for them, as many of us did not share that experience. If you want to hear the real experiences of residential schools and intergenerational trauma - you do not have to go far to find any as many of those victims are living on the streets. The grass-roots Elders and survivors have no fear to speak that truth. That truth is going to be uncomfortable but it has to be learned."   

Stevenson then talked about the how the discovery of the first 215 unmarked graves in Kamloops, validated the stories being told by all who went to residential schools. 

“If it wasn’t for the uncovering of the children in Kamloops, because it validated the stories and the claims that our people have been talking about for since the inception of residential schools. That definitely helped with getting more Canadians to believe and understand what really happened out there.” 

Stevenson ended our conversation by encouraging more individuals who were in residential schools, to talk about their experiences, and to be not afraid to speak the truth. 

“Because I know this subject, racism, a lot of males are uncomfortable because it's supposed to be like a manly thing not to talk about these issues. Which is unfortunate because that teaches their children that it's not okay to talk about it and when in fact, this is a subject that needs to be spoken about, needs to be brought up, it has to be addressed.”