“Maybe if I can say what I need to say, things will be better. Maybe this is the way to get it out of me once and for all.”
Kenny attends a meeting at the Friendship Centre with Lucy to learn about a lawsuit against the government for the abuses suffered at the Indian Residential School. The meeting is intended for survivors to share their experiences and seek justice. Kenny expresses a desire to confront his past trauma openly hoping that articulating his experiences will help him heal. This moment features the theme of seeking justice and the emotional journey of healing from historical trauma. The Indian Residential School system was designed to assimilate Indigenous children forcibly by subjecting them to severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. For survivors like Kenny, the trauma is deep-seated and the wounds are both physical and psychological. The phrase "get it out of me" suggests that his memories feel like a burden or poison that needs to be expelled. Thus, the statement encapsulates Kenny's internal struggle and his hope for healing through speaking out.
“I never would have survived that place without you. You taught me how to find food in the bush. You were our hero, man. You actually escaped.”
This quote occurs when Kenny reunites with Howie at the Friendship Centre. Howie expresses his gratitude to Kenny for teaching him survival skills during their time at the residential school. Kenny's escape from the school made him a figure of hope for the other children. This scene highlights the theme of solidarity among the children who had to rely on each other to endure the harsh conditions of the school. Kenny's actions illustrate the small acts of resistance and care that were crucial for survival in such oppressive environments. Howie’s acknowledgment of Kenny as their "hero" points to how the children find strength and hope in each other. Despite the brutal and oppressive environment, they managed to create bonds of care and support that helped them endure.
“There are no English words to describe how one woman walked into that lodge and another walked out. All Clara knew was that it took her back. Back to the birch grove and the angel songs. Back to who she was before Sister Mary, before the school, before they tried to beat her into a little brown white girl. She felt a certainty, from then on, that all the ones who had come before walked with her.”
The statement occurs during Clara's journey towards healing and reconnection with her Indigenous roots. Mariah guides Clara through a transformative experience in a sweat lodge. The experience takes Clara back to her childhood memories and the spiritual connection she once felt with her ancestors. This moment signifies Clara reclaiming the identity and heritage that the residential school system attempted to erase. The sweat lodge ceremony represents a return to Indigenous traditions and a reaffirmation of cultural identity. Clara's realization that her ancestors are with her stresses the importance of community and ancestral connections in the healing process. It highlights the enduring strength found in returning to traditional practices within the Indigenous cultures.
