Statement gathering targets homeless residential school survivors

SkyBlue Morin is grateful that a number of her clients had the opportunity recently to tell their stories to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s statement gathering team.

The team was in Calgary for Homeless Connect in mid-February. The day after the event, which allows homeless people to access services free of charge, residential school survivors, who call the streets or shelters their homes, were able to share their experiences with members of the TRC statement gathering team at the downtown branch of the Calgary Public Library.

“There was a sense of relief that they finally (got to tell their stories) and there were support people there to help them through it,” said Morin.

Morin was one of four resolution health support workers at the day-long event.

Morin works from Métis Calgary Family Services, which is the agency that has the contract with Health Canada. Morin hits the streets regularly to connect with homeless people. She sees some of her clients only four times a year, every three months when Homeless Connect Calgary is held. Because she only connects with some clients at that event, Morin invited the TRC to attend. Morin split her time at the Feb. 19 Homeless Connect between her booth for the Indian Residential School resolution health support program and the TRC.

Morin has 120 homeless clients and almost all have a connection to residential schools. Fifty are direct survivors while 62 are second generation residential school survivors.

Morin said when she invited TRC’s team she warned them that many of her clients are angry.

“They want to give someone heck, maybe the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Canada. I deal with angry clients every day. They’re hurting, they’re in pain, they want to blame someone. It’s just part of where they’re at,” said Morin. “But not all are like that. Some are okay, some are moving forward in their healing.”

Ry Moran, director of statement gathering for the TRC, said the commission is making a push to connect with the homeless and is hopeful that Calgary’s event can help set a template as how to carry out the work nationally.

“Ideally we want to find organizations that are working with homeless people (and) who are willing to work with us,” said Moran. “That’s a real interest to us because statement gathering is built on trust.”

As well, with deadlines fast approaching for applications to be made for the Common Experience Payment (deadline Sept. 19, 2011) and Independent Assessment Process (deadline Sept. 19, 2012), Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is holding sessions in shelters and centres to reach former residential school survivors, as well as having sessions with shelter and centre staff.

CEP is given to former students who lived at one of the prescribed residential schools and is awarded at $10,000 for the first school year. IAP is given to a student who suffered sexual or serious physical abuses, or other abuses, and falls between $5,000 to $275,000 in payment.