"Residential school survivor Conference Speech" -- Quew Family Forum

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Date Posted: 21:31:02 03/07/01 Wed
Author: Ted Que
Subject: "Residential school survivor Conference Speech"

This speach was suppose to be presented by therapist Bill Fehr but my Father presented it. So this is how it was presented by Bill but my Dad pesented it in his own words.
Elders,Chiefs,Headmen of First Nations,Community members,Most of all Survivors. Tahnk you for the oppotunity to speak to you today.My Name is Bill Fehr and i work as a community therapist in Keeseekoose,I have many stories of abuse suffered by the people in the residential school of St.Philips. Four Worlds International Institute for Human and Community Development have identified patterns of abuse in Aboriginal boarding and residential schools in North America.These abuses as identified,occured in St.Philips school in Keeseekoose.The following is an ABBREVIATED list of abuses as told to me.
PHYSICAL ABUSES
~sexual assault,including forced sexual intercourse between men and women in authority and girls and/or boys in their charge.
~forced oral-genital or mastubatory contact between men or women in authority and girls and boys in their charge
~sexual touching by men or women in authority of girls and or boys in their charge
~performing private pseudo-official inspections of genitalia of girls and boys
~arranging or inducing abortios in female children impregnated by men in authority
~burning or scalding children
~shaving children's heads as punishment
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE
*administration of beatings to naked or partially naked children before their fellow students and or institutional officials
*public,individually directed verbal abuse,belittling and threatening
*performing public strip searches and gential inspection of children
*forced removal of children from their homes,families and people
*cutting children's hair or shaving their heads policy
*eliminating any avenue by which to bring grievances,inform parents or notify external authorities of abuses.
OMMISIONS OF ACTION/CHURCH IN ACTION

Notice how these abuses were perpetrated at the hand of authority and or spiritual leaders. Notice also how this abuse ridiculed and humiliated the student.

Childhood sexual abuse is always abhorrent,but i the case of Residential School abuse it is doubly so. This abuse occured systematically over a number of some 40 yrs. The result is that the legacy of the abuse is multi generational in nature. The abuse has caused a destruction of community and a dstruction of spirituality.Trauma as a result of abuse occurs as a result of the victim's interpretation of the abuse. In case of Residential School abuse,children interpreted the abuse to occur as a result of God's will. Often the perpetrator would tell the child that God wanted this(the abuse)to happen and that this was God's way to show love.In the case of Residential School abuse this interpretation resulted in generalized fear and mistrust.It has created and environment within the community where anger and violence are common.People are living in fear;fear of leadership,fear of conflict,fear of rejection,fear of being loved,fear of loving,in fact fear of themselves.

I see a community of people who are conditioned to institutional life.I see people who are more comfortable in jail than they are in their own community.The Legacy of Residential School abuse created a sense of learned helplessness and powerlessness.Uniqueness and initiative were punished in Residential School. Today the legacy of Residential School abuse means fear of initiative,fear of uniqueness and fear of self. The design and administration of residential schools was an attempt to destroy the history,tradition and culture of First Nations people. Today the community of Keeseekoose is stuggling to regain their history,tradition and culture. The sense of community was almost destroyed,today it is being rebuilt.However,the damage done to the sense of community continues today.It is very difficult to rebuild a community when the people who were abused do not have a sense of hope,and in fact abuse others.The spirit is NOT broken.Rebuilding and recovery will continue even though the damage done to individuals and to community lives on.The legacy of Residential School abuse continues.
Thank You

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