Lheidli T’enneh First Nation – Since May 28th, we have been sharing stories of unmarked graves found near residential schools around B.C. and the country.
The horrifying stories of children who didn’t make it home, their families unsure of what happened to them.
But, for those who did, it would be a lifetime of pain, not knowing who they were or really understanding why they were sent away. This is the story of Elder Clifford Quaw.
When Elder Quaw arrived at the Lejac Residential School for the first time, it was very different than what he was used to, back home.
“When we got there Lejac Residential School, it was a big red building, it was very imposing. The first thing we discovered is it had electricity.. instead of outhouses we had indoor toilets.”
Lejac Residential School was in operation from 1922 – 1976. At just 5-years – old Elder Quaw was forced to attend that school in 1953 and was there till 1963.
“We were crammed in the small area, there were about 40, 40 of us boys in there, same with the girls And, during the night all you hear is crying, all the kids crying, simply because they want to go home. Home is a long way, they were a long way from home. And they were always crying and finally, it just petered out.”
In a time when the government wanted to groom children of Indigenous heritage into a more cultured European lifestyle. Children would often be ripped away from families and told they would have a better life. Little did we know, that in this time, they would lose their language, spirit, dignity, innocence, and sometimes even their life.
This story has an ending, Elder Quaw came home. He may have felt like a big piece of him was lost. Not only that but they were trained to not tell anyone what happened. So, every emotion and feeling was suppressed for years.
However, one day that all changed. He went back to school and graduated in 2008 from the Provincial Instructors Diploma Program. Elder Quaw, now travels around and teaches people about his time and experiences in Residential Schools.
Elder Quaw is a Residential School survivor He is a keeper of knowledge, he is the guiding light for many survivors who can’t speak of their own experiences.
