10 residential school healing centres across Manitoba to get $500K funding

Manitoba is giving funding to 10 organizations across the province for residential school healing centres.

"Manitoba is acknowledging past harms and ongoing intergenerational harms caused by residential schools," said Mental Health and Community Wellness Minister Sarah Guillemard.

"We will partner closely with these Indigenous-led organizations to help bring about healing through traditional Indigenous ceremonies, safe mental health approaches and holistic community-based care."

The $500,000 will be used for "culturally appropriate healing services"at:

• Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre of Winnipeg.
• Anish Corporation (Swan Lake First Nation).
• Cree Nation Tribal Health (The Pas).
• Cross Lake Band Indian Residential School Healing Program.
• Keewatin Tribal Council (Thompson).
• Sagkeeng Indian Residential School Wellness Centre (Pine Falls).
• St. Theresa Point First Nation Healing Centre.
• Southeast Resource Development Council (Winnipeg).
• Wa-Say Healing Centre (Winnipeg).
• West Region Treaty 2 and 4 Health Services (Dauphin).

The funding will also allow increasedcounselling and cultural supports, and offer residential school survivors the chance to attend healing and educational events and other gatherings, Guillemardsaidat a newsconference inside Thunderbird House, anIndigenous cultural centre on Main Street in Winnipeg.

The moneysupplements federal funding under the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program to provideemotional, cultural, spiritual and mental health support services to eligible former residential school students and their families, a news release from the province said.

"We know that colonialism, racism and intergenerational trauma resulting from residential schools have impacted the mental health outcomes for Indigenous people in Manitoba,"Guillemardsaid.

"The legacy of residential schools includes significant intergenerational trauma. The findings of unmarked graves has considerably increased the level of trauma felt by many Indigenous Peoples and communities."

Asked if it is enough money $50,000 to each organization, Guillemard said she doesn'tthink there is a number "that will ever be enough"to help survivors and their families.

"Today's announcement really is a starting point," she said. "You start with enhancing the capacity of existing programs that already have those relationships."

More funding will come, and the government will meet with the Indigenous community and its leaders "to find out where other strategic investments can be made,"Guillemard said.

Noella Gentes, director of programs for the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre in Winnipeg, said she was "very appreciative" of the funding and hopes it is only a starting point.

"There's still a lot of healing to happen. There's so many generations affected," she said.

"It's a long road ahead but I do believe we're on the right road for reconciliation and the healing to happen."

The announcement comes just days after Pope Francis apologized to Indigenous delegates in Rome for "deplorable" abuseperpetrated by some Catholic Church members at residential schools in Canada.

First Nations, Inuit and Mtis delegations spent a week in Rome, meeting with the Popebefore a final public audienceat the Vatican on Friday.

The Pope expressed "sorrow and shame" for the conduct of some members of the church who ran the schools and for thelack of respect at the institutions for Indigenous identity, culture and spiritual values.

More than 150,000 Indigenous children were removed from their homes and forced to attend residential schools, where many sufferedphysical and sexual abuse.

The first schools opened in the 1880s and the last residential school closedin 1996.More than 60 per cent of the schools were run by the Catholic Church.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission which from 2008 to 2015 examined Canada's residential school system has documented the deaths of over 6,000 residential schoolstudents as a result of their school experience, and saidthere are probably more.

Since May 2021, ground-penetrating radar at former residential schools across the country has identified suspected burial sites that could hold the remains of more than 1,900 people.

"This tragedy is a grim reminder of the cruel impact that these have had and are still having on the lives of survivors, Indigenous children, families and communities," said Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere.

10 residential school healing centres across Manitoba to get $500K funding

2 years ago

Duration 1:50

Manitoba is giving funding to 10 organizations across the province for residential school healing centres. The $500,000 will be used for "culturally appropriate healing services," allow increased counselling and cultural supports, and offer residential school survivors the chance to attend healing and educational events and other gatherings.

Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools or by the latest reports.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.