Residential Schools: First Nations Experiences
24 years ago, the last federally run residential school in Canada closed:, Gordon's Indian Residential School, closed. Episode 1 of our podcast, Residential Schools, unpacks what went on behind the doors.
Gordon’s Indian Residential School in Punnichy, Saskatchewan shut its doors in 1996. It was the last federally run residential school in Canada.
More than two decades later, the legacy of what went on behind those doors continues to be felt by Survivors, their families, and communities. In this episode, University of Manitoba’s Dr. Niigaanwewidam Sinclair describes the effects of residential schools on First Nations peoples. Survivors Riley Burns and Ed Bitternose recount their personal experiences at Gordon’s. Hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais, this is “Residential Schools: First Nations Experiences.”
Special thanks to Survivors Riley Burns and Ed Bitternose. Survivor testimony in this episode was provided by the Legacy of Hope Foundation. Additional resources include University of Regina’s Shattering Silence and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report, Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future.
Thanks to our consultants: David Perley, a Wolastoqi scholar from Tobique First Nation and the Director of the Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre and Brian Maracle (Owennatekha), an author, journalist, and teacher, and a member of the Mohawk First Nation.
Illustrations by Halie Finney.