Sherlene Bomberry stands barefoot upon the soft grass of her history in the Mohawk Village Memorial Park, where the former Mohawk Institute Residential School building still looms large in the distance. With the soles of her feet bare, she connects to Mother Earth, grounding herself in the strength and resiliency that have guided her through decades of healing since the days she was among the First Nations children forced to attend the school.
On this clear and bright September day, she shares her story with residents and team members who have come from different Schlegel Villages as part of the 10th Anniversary of the #ElderWisdom initiative. Schlegel Villages was honoured to partner with Mohawk Village Memorial Park and members of the Six Nations of the Grand River community for a day of reflection, connection, and education through the power of storytelling.
“Our hope is that this time together will help us better understand the truths of our shared history and inspire us to carry reconciliation forward in meaningful ways within our Villages and beyond,” says Ted Hudson, one of the key organizers of the #ElderWisdom initiative. “To be invited into this space, and to learn directly from the wisdom and lived experience of First Nations Elders, is a profound gift.”
Sherlene was 10 years old when she was forced to attend the school, and her younger sister was just 4. She remembers the cries of the young ones at night – cries that echoed into the future, long after the school finally closed in 1970. The echoes, however, began long before her time, reverberating through generations. Perhaps that’s why her mother was never able to show love or emotion, Sherlene reflects. Her grandmother, too, attended the same school between 1917 and 1919, part of the long line of generations forced toward assimilation at that school on the edge of Six Nations since as far back as 1831.
On this day of learning and reflection, others share stories of their own healing from the pains of the past, while still others offer lessons in the rich history and culture of the Six Nations of the Grand River.
Bill Sands has come from his home at Walpole Island First Nation at the mouth of the St. Clair River near Windsor. It was an unwelcome journey he was forced to make as a child, and now he draws strength from the opportunity to share his truth with others. He’s grateful to see so many elders and team members from Schlegel Villages eager to be immersed in the experience.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Bill says. “But this is great. They (the residents of Schlegel Villages) seem happy, and I’m happy to share my story. They will carry these messages to other people, and on and on.”
Stephanie Hill, a Seniors Lifelong Care Coordinator with the Gihekdagye Program Centre, wanted to bring the #ElderWisdom Green Bench to her community as soon as she learned of the initiative. She has a lifelong passion for supporting her elders and fully agrees with the #ElderWisdom quest to restore Elders of all communities to a place of reverence in our society.
Her organization helped create the event, and she sees great potential for ongoing partnership and friendship with Schlegel Villages. Many organizations talk about a desire to build bridges with First Nations communities, she says, but seeing an event bring that desire to fruition – as was happening throughout the park – is something truly special.
“This here is definitely the biggest stepping stone,” Stephanie says. “We hear it a lot, but this is actually putting it into action. And it’s not even just about Orange Shirt Day – it’s beyond that. There has been expressed interest from the residents and our people because they want to share.”
As Schlegel Villages marks the 10th anniversary of the #ElderWisdom bench, a beautiful day spent with new friends from the Six Nations of the Grand River stands as a recognition that true wisdom grows through listening, humility, and the development of authentic, meaningful relationships.
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