Editorsa国际传媒檚 note: The story below may trigger difficult or traumatic thoughts and memories. The Indian Residential School Survivors Societysa国际传媒檚 24-hour crisis line is available at 1-866-925-4419.

By Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative ReporterCANADAsa国际传媒橲 NATIONAL OBSERVER

Homalco Chief Darren Blaney has the tragic distinction of being a third-generation residential school survivor.

Like his father, and grandfather before him, Blaney was forced from his home, family, and culture in the small community of Church House in Bute Inlet along B.C.sa国际传媒檚 remote central coast.

sa国际传媒淢y great-grandfather was the first one from Homalco to go to residential school in 1875,sa国际传媒� said Blaney.

Blaneysa国际传媒檚 ancestor came home 12 years later, a victim to the cycle of violence, disconnection, and trauma associated with residential schools that would also ensnare his relatives and others of the Homalco Nation (named the sa国际传媒減eople of fast running waterssa国际传媒� after the turbulent tides of their inlet).

sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 been a lot of destruction from residential schools,sa国际传媒� Blaney said. sa国际传媒淢y dad went, my brother went, and I went.sa国际传媒�

When he sees archival photos of Indigenous children in dormitories packed with beds, Blaney recalls the isolation he felt in his early teens during his first year at Sechelt Residential School, and the next five years he spent even farther from home at St. Marysa国际传媒檚 Residential School in Mission, B.C.

sa国际传媒淚n Sechelt, my bed ended up being by the windows. I remember looking out the window at night time and I could see the lights of Nanaimo across the water,sa国际传媒� said Blaney.

But escape to the Vancouver Island city and possibly home was next to impossible because the only way out of Sechelt was by ferry, he said.

sa国际传媒淵ousa国际传媒檙e really homesick in residential school. You count the days before you go home,sa国际传媒� Blaney said. sa国际传媒淎nd when you come back, you count the days since yousa国际传媒檝e been home.

sa国际传媒淚t was just a lonely place.sa国际传媒�

The Sechelt facility, also known as St. Augustinesa国际传媒檚, was established in 1904, run by the Catholic Church, and funded by the federal government. Parents withdrew their children from the school in 1923 to protest the poor education, harsh discipline, and inadequate diet. Although funding at the school did increase, the facility did not ultimately close until 1975.

sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 a whole generation of Homalco people (who) didnsa国际传媒檛 come home from that residential school,sa国际传媒� Blaney said. sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e buried somewhere in Sechelt.sa国际传媒�

Blaney thinks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a good opportunity to educate Canadians about the harms and pain residential schools caused Indigenous children and communities.

But it was confirmation of 215 children buried at a gravesite at a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., in May that sparked a wider consciousness in Canadians about the issue, Blaney said.

Theresa国际传媒檚 a better understanding of what happened, he said, adding residential schools didnsa国际传媒檛 only expose children to violence, sexual abuse, malnutrition, and disease, but set out to destroy Indigenous culture and identity.

sa国际传媒淏efore (Kamloops) sa国际传媒� nobody took the genocide seriously,sa国际传媒� Blaney said.

But, the new national day of commemoration and findings by the Tksa国际传媒檈mlups te Secwepemc band, followed by subsequent burial sites confirmed by other First Nations, are only an initial step toward reconciliation, he added.

sa国际传媒淚 take a look at all these investments with the orange flags. Those are fine and bring educational attention to residential schools, but itsa国际传媒檚 action thatsa国际传媒檚 needed. Nobody in government is dealing with the trauma.sa国际传媒�

First Nations governments donsa国际传媒檛 have and are denied the resources they need to establish long-term treatment and healing for members in their communities, he said.

Indigenous groups are always scrabbling to generate revenue, not solely for the sake of economic development, but to help their communities overcome the legacy of the schools, Blaney said.

sa国际传媒淥ur economic development will only go as far as our healing,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淎s much as wesa国际传媒檇 like to move forward, the instruments of residential schools are still tying us down.sa国际传媒�

First Nations leadership is left to struggle to rebuild governance and capacity with little support from governments that have long monopolized the wealth of Indigenous people, he said.

sa国际传媒淩esources in our territory have been stripped,sa国际传媒� Blaney said, citing forestry as an example, an industry where even now, the province is only offering up a slightly bigger piece of a very small and diminishing pie.

sa国际传媒淎ll our opportunities for revenues are gone and poverty is a weapon for the government,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淔irst Nations trying to defend their rights in court are easier to defeat if they donsa国际传媒檛 have money.sa国际传媒�

Regardless, Indigenous people are overcoming obstacles to provide better lives for their communities, he said.

The Homalco have invested in a number of tourism ventures and a radio station to build capacity and employment.

Funds from the non-profit station will go into cultural programming and healing for the community, especially to ensure youth donsa国际传媒檛 become intergenerational victims, Blaney said.

sa国际传媒淭he shadow of residential schools gets longer and longer, and the potential of our people is lost in alcohol and drugs from trauma,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淏ut wesa国际传媒檙e working to shield people and give them a better chance,sa国际传媒� Blaney added.

sa国际传媒淓verybody wants to be useful, happy and whole.sa国际传媒�