What it means when residential school victims are told “get over it”
Every now and then I hear a comment, “Get over it, it’s the past.”
Heartbreaking for our old ones to witness their sacred regalia, masks, rattles and drums burnt in front of them. Get over that.
Many of our relations punished and strapped for speaking our only mother tongue the Hul’q’umi’num’ language. Get over it.
Mom and Dad to watch their five-year-old being taken away from his home, family and community by the Indian Superintendent to attend Kuper Island Indian Residential school. Get over it.
If parents didn’t let their son go they would be jailed. Get over it.
Little boy did the only thing he knows and that was cry, cry, cry, cry. Get over it.
Little boy was never encouraged to be proud of who he is, only to know the slogan of this country is to kill the Indian in the Indian. Get over that.
Little boy was not allowed to talk to his older sister. Get over it.
Relatives walking by to attend a ceremony at the village, we were not allowed to say hi to our families or hug Granny or Aunties; if we did we were punished.
Get over it.
Little boy was mentally, physically, spiritually and sexually abused — took six decades to talk about it. Get over it.
Little boy cried so much for Mommy and Daddy he was slapped and thrown in a dark closet to shut him up. Get over it.
Little boy slapped so much he went deaf. Get over that.
Little boy was forced to stand in the corner for not listening or participating in class. Get over it.
Little boy was a stranger when he went home for the summer. Get over it.
We are in the era of truth and reconciliation. I hope we can begin with speaking the truth. Get over it.
This country has a lot to reveal of the compressing, suppressing and fingering us as second class citizens. Get over it.
I do not stand for the anthem or the monarch anthem, I am not the subject of any human being, I am equal. Get over that.
There is a lot for me to get over; I am that five-year-old child.
To get over it I can start today. How about you, are you in?
Huy ch q’u
R. George
Duncan
