OTTAWA – Anjeni Kohoko came to Parliament Hill from Pikwàkanagàn First Nation on Wednesday with a heavy and important task: provide emotional support for her mother, while working to break a cycle of intergenerational trauma. Both of Kohoko’s parents were separated from her grandparents and placed in residential schools. Her mom is a Sixties Scoop Survivor, and her late father was a residential school Survivor. Because of that history, Kohoko never knew any of her grandparents. That makes attending the national ceremony for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with her two-year-old son Layten, and another baby on the way, together with her mother - her children’s grandmother - all the more impactful. The half-Cree, half-Algonquin mom said being at the event with three generations of her family is “everything I ever hoped for” in a quest to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma. “It might be just one day for everyone, but it’s kind of like every day for me and my family,” she said about acknowledging Canada’s treatment of Indigenous people. Intergenerational trauma weighs on the mind of Tyler-Ray Hart, too. He tells CTV News he feels a “sense of overwhelm” standing on Parliament Hill. “Being with all my people really hits deep,” he said. His grandparents attended residential school, and his mother was part of the Sixties Scoop. He said intergenerational trauma has had a big impact on him and his family. Now in his 30s Hart is diving deeper into what it means to be Indigenous. Hart, who is originally from a reserve on Georgina Island Ont. but now lives in Ottawa, says Canada’s attitude towards truth and reconciliation is “moving in the right direction.” He says major events like the one on Parliament Hill help, as hundreds of people, both Indigenous and allies, turned up on Wednesday to attend. ‘We honour survivors together’ The sea of orange shirts was broken up by more jackets than years past – Ottawa offered up a dreary and cool backdrop for the impactful speeches, songs and performances. The 90-minute ceremony, titled “Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,” had speeches from residential school survivors, including Jeannie Ehaloak from Cambridge Bay. “It’s time to see tangible action,” she told the crowd. “It’s time we take back what was taken from us and work toward a journey that will help us heal, renew, and reclaim our culture, heritage and identity, not only for ourselves but for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.” Several speakers touched on the importance of pushing back against denialism of residential schools. Last weekend’s apparent white nationalist demonstration at the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc reserve near Kamloops, B.C. was fresh on many people’s minds. “We are seeing a rising wave of residential school denialism, racist diatribe that tries to dehumanize us and incite violence,” said Stephanie Scott, executive director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. “But we are better than that, and we are stronger than that because we know our own power.” In Governor General Louise Arbour’s speech she said “all forms of denialism” need to be confronted, as they “persist despite extensive historical records and undisputable body of evidence, including firsthand survivor testimony.” “This leaves no room for doubt about the history and impact of residential schools,” she told the crowd. Pam Wolfe-Roberge was listening to Arbour’s speech when CTV News asked to speak with her. She said despite the Kamloops, B.C. incident and issues of denialism, she is optimistic the majority of Canadians are “really honouring Survivors.” She says she was thinking of her great-aunt, who attended a residential school in Spanish, Ont., at times during the ceremony. Seeing the school’s name on a banner unfurled with thousands of names of children who never returned home made her emotional. Each year, Wolfe-Roberge takes her young daughter out of school to attend the event. “We come and honour survivors together.” The very first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Wolfe-Robson was pregnant with her. “I do believe that people are listening, and that people in Canada want to know the truth and want to learn from Survivors,” she said.
