Islanders young and old gather to discuss Mi'kmaw culture, history and reconciliation - Action News
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PEI

Islanders young and old gather to discuss Mi'kmaw culture, history and reconciliation

People from the ages of 12 to 90 attended an Abegweit First Nation Truth and Reconciliation event to educate themselves on Indigenous history.

Attendees aged 12 to 90 were looking to learn more about Indigenous peoples

Man dressed in orange shirt with shorter sleeve black shirt over it stands in front of a podium.
Abegweit First Nation Chief Junior Gould says that while progress on reconciliation in Prince Edward Island has been 'slow,' the current younger generation can be the one to make a positive change. (Taylor O'Brien/CBC)

When Theresa Spingle was in school, she never learned about Indigenous people and residential schools. Decades later, she's doing her own work to educate herself.

"It wasn't part of our curriculum," she said. "It was the old standard curriculum because it's been a long time since I've been in Grade 8 and even when I finished teaching, it wasn't really a big part of the curriculum."

On Friday, Spingle was one of dozens of people who attended Abegweit First Nation's Truth and Reconciliation event at its administration office in Scotchfort, P.E.I.

The crowd clad in orange shirts was made up of Abegweit First Nation community members, elders and Grade 8 students from Mount Stewart Consolidated School. Spingle attended with her community group, Coffee and Chats, composed of women as old as 90, who participated in the event to better understand Mi'kmaw culture and history.

Abegweit First Nation Chief Junior Gould said the Truth and Reconciliation event was held four days after the National Day forTruth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 because the education campaign needs much more than just one day a year.

He said it's important for older generations to educate themselves because they are the ones who are currently making decisions that affect Canada and the future.

A group of people stand and sit next to each other. Many are wearing bright orange shirts.
Members of the Coffee and Chats community group stand next to members of Abegweit First Nation at the community's Truth and Reconciliation event held Oct. 4 in Scotchfort, P.E.I. (Taylor O'Brien/CBC)

"The elder group that came here today and reached out is part of the intergenerational healing process," he said.

"I believe that, in Prince Edward Island, this group here will be able to empower our voice as a First Nation, and understand our plight that we have when sometimes it falls on younger deaf ears."

The 'Orange Shirt Generation'

Nate Gould, a Grade 8 student from Scotchfort, said it was nice sharing the Truth and Reconciliation event with his classmatesas they learned more about his culture and what orange shirts signify.

The National Day forTruth and Reconciliation replacedOrange Shirt Day, which had been marked on Sept. 30since 2013to bring attention to the experience of Phyllis Webstad. Her grandmother gave her an orange shirt to wear on her first day atSt. Joseph's Mission Residential School in Williams Lake, B.C., but school staff took the shirt from her and she never saw it again.

Phyllis Webstad was just six years old when she was sent to a residential school in B.C., and the orange shirt she was wearing that day was taken away. Decades later, Webstad began sharing her experience, and the orange shirt became a national symbol for mourning what happened at residential schools. CBC's Jessica Doria-Brown spoke with Webstad when she was on P.E.I. recently about Orange Shirt Day and what it means.

It has come to be a symbol of the generations who lost their connection to their languages and culture at residential schools across Canada.

Grade 8 student Grant Wortley, a student at Mount Stewart Consolidated School on P.E.I., said it's important for him to learn about Indigenous culture and work on reconciliation because his ancestors caused much damage to Indigenous people.

"I feel like, as a Canadian, I have to show more respect and apologize to my friends who are Indigenous to this land."

People wearing orange sit in a room to watch a video.
People at Abegweit First Nation's Truth and Reconciliation event watch a video discussing what children went through at former residential schools across Canada. (Taylor O'Brien/CBC)

Gould said he feels progress toward reconciliation in Prince Edward Island has been "slow."

Yet he referred to today's young people as the "Orange ShirtGeneration," saying they have a lot of opportunities tomake a difference.

"And they will. And from what I'm seeing, and what I'm getting from the younger generation that were here today, they paid attention, they listened, and they were engaged."

Work towards reconciliation continues

Looking ahead, Grant Wortley said he plans to use this new knowledge to devote time to helping his Indigenous classmates, such as by helping them with their homework if they need it.

A group of Grade 8 students from Mount Stewart Consolidated School are wearing bright orange shirts. They are sitting in front of the Abegweit First Nation administration office sign.
Grade 8 students from Mount Stewart Consolidated School sit outside the Abegweit First Nation's administration office after attending its Truth and Reconciliation event on Friday. (Taylor O'Brien/CBC)

As for Spingle, she said she thinks people must realize there's still more work left to be done to achieve reconciliation.

"We all have to learn how to live together, work together. And that's the beginning of it; being able to live together and work together."