'Listen to my story': As Lynn Beyak retires from senate, an open letter from a residential school survivor

(Caution: the following includes description of abuse in residential schools.)

Once again, Lynn Beyak brings out her disregard for residential school survivors' experiences. 

For the last four years, she held a platform of racism. I am trying to comprehend how a nation allowed Beyak to continue in her standing as a senator. 

In 2017, she said there were good intentions in residential school and that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission focused on the negative and not the positives of residential school. 

As a residential school survivor, in April 2017, I made a video addressing Sen. Beyak on social media. I emailed my response, calling Sen. Beyak out on her actions. In my letter I described my horrific experiences in residential school.

My email was blocked by Sen. Beyak. 

I am appalled to learn of her recent statement, Jan. 25, 2021: "Some have criticized me for stating that the good, as well as the bad, of residential should be recognized." 

Senator, you said you stand by that statement. Further you indicated, "Others have criticized me for stating that the Truth and Reconciliation Report was not balanced as it should be." 

There were letters of prejudice found on her Senate website. She declined to take her website down when ordered to.

In my response, I want to speak to Sen. Lynn Beyak on her convenient retirement.

First, let me introduce myself to you. My English name is Geraldine Shingoose. My traditional names are Sky Woman and Northern Lights Woman.  

I come from the Bear Clan. My warrior spirit is the Grandmother Turtle. I come from Treaty 4 territory; my home community is Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve. I am a mother of three children. I am a grandmother to eight grandchildren. I am a great-grandmother to four.

I am a nine-year residential school survivor, 1962-1971. 

No justification for abuse

I am one of the survivors who shared their story with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I provided a private and public statement to the TRC; I gladly invite you to watch my video of my private statement.  

I also went through the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) implemented by the federal government. The IAP is a detailed description of the physical, sexual and emotional abuses I experienced while in residential school.

I was taken at the age of five to residential school. The physical abuse was regular; if not on me, it was on another child. To hear children crying daily for nine years from beatings, strappings, hits, punches and slaps is horrifying. 

Sen. Beyak, can you justify my experience of physical torture — where the trauma of blows to my head caused hearing loss to both my ears? 

There was ample opportunity to educate yourself. Turning it down is an insult.- Geraldine Shingoose

Senator, were you chosen? You say you suffered alongside us survivors. How did you survive?

There was an apology in the House of Commons in 2008, that acknowledged the abuses on Indigenous children while in the residential schools. 

Canada wanted to make amends, so why would you make statements to undermine what Canada admitted? Why would you undermine the thousands of residential school survivors' statements shared with the TRC and the IAP? 

Your role as a senator served all people, including residential school survivors. 

Sacred connections stolen

Senator, you say there are good stories. How can you justify children being stolen from their family to be placed in these abusive institutions?

Spiritual abuse included being forcefully taken from my parents and community. Canada broke a sacred bond between my parents and me. 

My Saulteaux language was the only one I knew. I did not choose English. It was beaten into me. 

Our language provides us with a sacred spiritual connection with our family and nation. My parents were robbed of their sacred connection to their children. The emotional, psychological abuse was an everyday experience. 

It was Canada's goal to "kill the Indian in the child."

Today I am invited to schools and universities to share my story. I have been blessed. I've already shared my story with more than 10,000 students from kindergarten to university. 

'How do you see the good' in deaths of children?

I request the students share my story and research the history of residential school. They appreciate hearing from a residential school survivor, rather than reading from textbooks. 

Sen. Beyak, I invite you to come listen to my story, where you will come to know the truth of the historical wrongs done to residential school survivors. In doing so you will come to see my intent to bring balance to Canada's history. Sen. Beyak, you will also see my resilience as a residential school survivor.

In closing, senator, since 2017 there was ample opportunity to educate yourself. Turning it down is an insult. The good image you present of residential school is a false front for the genocide experienced in residential school.

How do you see the good, when thousands of children died? 

Your past and current non-acknowledgement of the damage done to the children of residential school is truly an action of violent racism. 

Your current announcement of early retirement does not take that away. You, in essence, have violated my human rights by not acknowledging the truths of residential schools.

Mental health counselling and crisis support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or online at www.hopeforwellness.ca. Counselling is available in English, French, Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut.

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