'Find it in your heart to forgive': Star Blanket members, survivors begin long road of healing following residential school announcement
CTV
For the community members of Star Blanket Cree Nation, validation has been met – but the healing journey continues.
For the community members of Star Blanket Cree Nation, validation has been met – but the healing journey continues.
This comes after the announcement of findings at the site of the former Qu’Appelle Indian Residential School, following over a year of ground penetrating radar searches.
Tears were shed as ground search leader Sheldon Poitras broke the news of over 2,000 “hits” within the searched lands – as well as the discovery of remains.
The jawbone fragment of a child aged four to six was discovered during the search. The remains date back to 1898, according to an investigation from the Saskatchewan Coroners Service.
The discovery leads to a key aspect of Star Blanket’s work so far on the residential school site: validation for its members, and the survivors of the institution.
“People didn't believe what we went through as survivors. I think it’s a good thing that people know now — know the truth,” Sharon Strongarm, a community knowledge keeper, told CTV News.
The validation of the stories from so many survivors is the next step, according to Poitras.
