Regina man shares story of intergenerational trauma, reclaiming Indigenous identity
Global News
Sundance Robson will share his story of intergenerational trauma, how residential school affected him at a young age and reclaiming his identity for Indigenous Storytelling Month.
Sundance Robson has reclaimed his identity through his music, his business of helping others and by sharing his story.
Robson is the first generation in his family who did not attend residential school, but says he still inherited the intergenerational trauma.
“There were still things within the school system that I felt,” he said. “Part of my intergenerational story is the very first day (of school), I saw that my name on my little kindergarten box was changed. It didn’t say Sundance … and they were calling me Justin … (the school) told my parents that I couldn’t go by the name Sundance.”
That was his first-time experiencing identity crisis. Robson said his parents never explained to him growing up why his name was changed. Based on his late father’s experience, he describes residential school as being shadowed.
“People never, ever wanted them to be heard about or spoke about. It was this dark history that happened, but no one ever spoke of it,” he said. “I saw that when I was raised.”
He remembers his father had filed a lawsuit against the government for harms inflicted in residential school. But sadly, his father overdosed on heroin and died in 1999.
“(When) he died, so did that lawsuit. He also died before there was ever an apology issued,” said Robson. “The stories that he told me about residential school as a kid was really hard for me to put those things together. When you hear that as a child about these stories, it’s hard for you to even believe it.”
Not only did Robson lose his traditional name but he became lost in a lifestyle addicted to drugs. However, it took time for him to find himself to reclaim his traditional name and rediscover his cultural roots.
