Alberta Catholic Bishops Hope Apology Will Help Residential School Survivors Heal

By Otiena Ellwand
Edmonton Journal
February 25, 2014

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Alberta+Catholic+bishops+hope+apology+will+help+residential+school+survivors+heal/9545081/story.html

Archbishop of Edmonton Most Rev. Richard Smith reads a letter of apology at Ben Calf Robe School in Edmonton February 24, 2014. The letter is regarding residential schools to mark the final meeting of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission meeting coming up at the end of March.

Jerry Wood describes the 11 years he spent in two Alberta residential schools as the worst of his life.

He left angry and lacking self-confidence.

“I spent probably half my life with alcohol,” he said Monday after the Archbishop of Edmonton, Most Reverend Richard Smith, apologized to residential school survivors on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories at a ceremony at Ben Calf Robe School.

“I realized that I was trying to drown my experiences in the residential schools from the sexual abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse, spiritual abuse that I went through,” said Wood, a member of the Council of Elders with Edmonton Catholic Schools, who was on hand to hear the apology.

He is still dealing with the trauma he experienced.

“There’s no substitute for that word sorry for when it comes to bringing healing,” Smith said.

“(We) want to do whatever we can to reach out and foster that healing and foster that reconciliation and to learn from what has happened in the past.”

From the 1870s to 1996, 150,000 aboriginal children were taken from their families across the country and sent to residential schools, where they were alienated from their community, language and culture. Alberta had 25 residential schools, 15 of which were administered by Roman Catholic dioceses or religious congregations.

Smith acknowledged the pain, suffering, sexual and physical abuse that many of those students endured.

Wood said the apology was long overdue.

“To me the Catholic Church has been dragging their feet about making their apology because all the other churches in Canada have. It took the Catholic Church a long time to do that. That’s what I wanted to hear, to say I’m sorry. I thought I would never hear that word coming from them.”

In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized to former students of residential schools. A year later, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his sorrow over the anguish caused by some members of the church.

The federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission has held six national events in the past four years to document the history of the Indian Residential Schools in Canada. The 132 schools were funded by the federal government and the majority were administered by the Roman Catholic dioceses and religious congregations.

The final truth and reconciliation commission event will be held in Edmonton from March 27-30 at the Shaw Conference Centre.

Smith said bishops have apologized in the local areas where the commission has held events. He said since the final event is happening in Edmonton, it was time for Alberta’s bishops to come forward to reinforce the Pope’s message locally and invite parishioners to attend.

“This is simply a question of co-ordinating the letter of invitation and the expression of apology with the event,” Smith said.

“Like any national wrap-up (event), it’s going to have a particularly strong significance, and we wanted to be there just to add our voices to the many expressions of regret that have already taken place.”

Contact: oellwand@edmontonjournal.com

Editor's note: This story has been updated with the correct number of residential schools in Alberta.