MOVING STRONGLY INTO OUR FUTURE, BY HEALING OUR PAST

A Residential School Totem Pole Project

The Health & Wellness Department, of the Nuxalk Nation, introduces the Residential School Survivors Totem Pole Project, “Moving Strongly Into Our Future By Healing Our Past”.

The legacy of Residential School has left our people feeling that they don’t fit in anywhere and that they don’t meet cultural ideals. They lost their culture, language and identity and it is painful to acknowledge the history and the shame of residential schools. We need to see the strengths and movement for change. Change will not happen overnight and it must happen at different levels. The need for change involves growth of a personal, individual nature as well as the political and social level.

Despite all that has happened to the Nuxalk people over the past 150 years, we are not a defeated people.

This Totem Pole is in honour of all Residential School Survivors, past and present. It will serve as a reminder of how we, as a First Nations, have shown resilience in living with the legacy of almost a century of all forms of abuse within Canada's residential schools and how we will continue to strive in our healing for the enhancement of our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and those yet unborn.

We, the Nuxalk Nation, are proud to announce that this Residential School Totem Pole will be raised on April 9, 2009 starting at 1:00 p.m. in Bella Coola, BC. We invite you to share in this historical event with the Nuxalk Nation.