Behind Closed Doors

One of the books I was able to find in the Saskatoon library was called Behind Closed Doors. It recounts survivors stories from the Kamloops residential school. This book was especially suited to this class is it recounts stories from students who are in different stages of their healing processes. I found it very interesting that none of the students presented blame for what had happened to them. That was perhaps the most surprising thing to me. If any of those events had happened to me, I am not sure that I would be able to forgive those who had perpetrated those actions against me. It was also a reminder that reconciliation is a mutual process that requires more than forgiveness on the part of the victims, but also full disclosure on the past of those who were oppressors.

In all the stories, they acknowledged what had happened and spoke about how they have struggled with those events over the course of their lives. Failed relationships and alcohol and substance abuse were common threads that ran through all of the accounts. These similarities between stories were a strong indication of how similar the trauma was for all students. Even those how stated that the schools were a "good" thing still felt a loss of family, community and culture, as well as an inability to form stable, loving relationships in their lives.

How the stories were presented on the spectrum of healing would be very useful to assist others who are on their own healing process. It is also very useful to assist me in understanding what the healing circle looks like in First Nations traditions. It is very different than the stages of grief and denial that are present in western traditions of grief. The use of the healing circle is much more holistic than the other traditions. It is important to create a place where different healing traditions are accepted in order to ensure that true reconciliation occurs.

The appendices of this book were also very helpful. They offered definitions of trauma and how to recognize the presence of residential schools syndrome, which is now considered to be a psychological label. These are useful tools that can be used well by social workers in order to work with First Nations peoples who have either been a part of residential schools are secondarily traumatized through their parents or grandparents experiences in the schools.

References
Jack, A. (2006). Behind closed doors: Stories from the Kamloops residential school. Kamloops, BC: Secwepemc Cultural Education Society.