The personal testimonies and stories of some survivors of the residential school system will live on thanks to a recently concluded project led by Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na (TTO).
TTO received funding from Canada Heritage to run a series of workshops aimed at commemorating and honouring residential school survivors from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory area. The project helped to record their stories and heal the wounds and intergenerational trauma inflicted upon the survivors, their families, and the community. The “stories” were reflected through writings, mixed media art, song lyrics, and other means.
At the conclusion of the project, the stories, along with cultural and historic information and photos of the community survivors, were compiled into a 60-page colour book entitled Healing Through Storytelling. Copies of the book are being shared with participants and/or their family members, other contributors, libraries, and key community members, with another 200 available for sale. Proceeds will benefit the language and cultural revitalization efforts of TTO.
“We’re grateful to those who chose to share their stories with us, and to the Government of Canada for their support in preserving this information for all time,” said Callie Hill, Executive Director of TTO. “As we work to reclaim and rebuild our traditional ways of being, it’s important to know not only where we are going but also where we have come from. Resources like this will help inform future generations of what we have lost, but also what we have overcome and how we have persevered.”
The book was formally unveiled to the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory community on September 30, National Orange Shirt Day, and will be available to the general public for sale in-person at TTO’s offices or online (with an additional shipping cost). It is also available for loan at the Kanhiote Library (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), as well as Belleville, Deseronto, and Queen’s University libraries.