Healing Historical Trauma: Respecting Wisdom Activity
Total Time: Approx. 60 minutes
Context: FNMI District Consultant
Strategy: K-W-L-H Chart
Participants use a K-W-L-H chart to record what they know and want to know about the impact of residential schools. After watching six short videos from the Respecting Wisdom section of Healing Historical Trauma, participants answer questions about what they learned and how they can learn more.
This strategy can be adapted for use with other topic areas. Word documents may be revised as needed.
Activity 1: Complete First Two Columns in K-W-L-H Chart
Handout: K-W-L-H Chart: Residential Schools 
In groups of three or four, participants talk about what they already know about the impact of Indian residential schools on Inuit, Métis and First Nation people. Ask participants to complete the first two columns of the chart.
Activity 2: View Respecting Wisdom Videos
Participants view six short videos from Respecting Wisdom section of Healing Historical Trauma. Allow time for comments and discussion as needed.
Allen Jacobs (0:51 minutes) Dene Elder Allen Jacobs, Cold Lake First Nations, speaks about the effects of colonization on the psyche of First Nations peoples. He talks about being ashamed of his Indigenous background because of the way Indigenous peoples were depicted in residential schools.
Jerry Wood (4:56 minutes) Elder Jerry Wood, Saddle Lake Cree Nation, speaks about his journey back to his traditional spirituality after his battle with alcohol addiction related to his experiences at a residential school.
Lois Edge (3:37 minutes) Of Gwich’in and Cree Métis roots, Lois Edge from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, shares a personal and poignant experience of working on a school project in Grade 5. At that time, there was no mention of FNMI peoples in the school curriculum, even though her community was predominantly First Nations. As a result, she was made to feel ashamed of her family background.
Sykes Powderface (7:08 minutes) Elder Sykes Powderface, Chiniki Band, Stoney Nakoda Nation, outlines the four eras of residential schools: pre-residential school life; residential school experiences; post-residential school effects; and current era of rediscovery of First Nations peoples. He shares some of the important issues that need to be addressed in current educational settings, such as revitalization of Indigenous languages.
Nellie Carlson (1:21 minutes) Cree Elder Nellie Carlson, residing in Edmonton, shares some of the differences between methods of discipline in residential schools and traditional teachings.
Jarod Sawan (3:25 minutes) Singer Jarod Sawan, Swan River First Nation, shares his experience of being adopted out of his family and community and his journey back home to his biological family. He refers to it as being “given a life back.”
Activity 3: Complete the K-W-L-H Chart
In the same groups of three or four, participants discuss what they learned and how they can find more information. Remind participants to complete the remainder of the chart, including the section on how this knowledge impacts classroom practices. In a large group, participants share what they learned from the speakers and from one another on the impact of residential schools.
