Residential school survivors meet for ‘Breaking the Colonial Mindset’ conference in Winnipeg – APTN News
Aug 30, 2023
Residential school survivors from across Canada are in Winnipeg for a conference hosted by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Called “Breaking the Colonial Mindset,” the conference is focusing on trauma and surviving with the memories of the schools.
Gabor Maté, an expert on addiction, trauma and childhood development, addressed the survivors’ gathering about compassion, fatigue, burnout and trauma.
“The essence of trauma is that you lose the connection to yourself,” he said. “You lose the respect for yourself, love for yourself. Now, Colonialism is trauma on a vast scale, which doesn’t just happen to individuals, it happens to whole peoples who lose their connection to themselves, their traditions and to their respect for themselves.”
Survivor Judy Pelly from Cote First Nation who now lives in Saskatoon, works for the City of Saskatoon as a cultural advisor and is also a Knowledge Keeper.
