“When I was at the residential school I was taught that God was a punishing God. And I was punished a lot.‪”‬ Humans, On Rights

It has taken Lorraine Daniels, a second generation Indigenous Residential School survivor, over 60 years to accept her Ojibway culture. As a student at the Indigenous Residential School, we were taught that God was a punishing God, and she and other children were forever being punished and not loved. She recounts that Indigenous children were not allowed to converse with other family members, such as a brother or sister, or talk during meals and that pulling their hair and getting the strap were normal forms of punishment because the children were considered sinners.

Today Lorraine Daniels is the Executive Director of the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada Inc. The National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada Inc. was established in 2018 for the Indigenous Residential School Survivors; to create a memorial for those who went through the experience and honour the survivors, their families and community. It was established as a place to heal, to understand and to move forward. And it was established as one of the 10 Principles of Reconciliation included in the 94 calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions final report.

Lorraine Daniels shares that her work at the Museum has given her the opportunity to learn more about her Ojibway culture as it was forbidden in the Residential Schools she attended. She talks about how she was shamed of her culture and stripped of her language but has since learned how to balance her Christian faith and accept her Ojibway culture. “Forgiveness is essential to my healing journey and to be kind to others.”

A transcript of this episode is available here.

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