An Aamjiwnaang elder and residential school survivor is calling on the federal and provincial governments to help make reconciliation a reality. Geraldine Robertson spoke at Point Edward's Holiday Inn Thursday as part of the Enbridge Famous 5 Speaker Series. The 83-year-old said while steps have been taken towards truth and reconciliation, more needs to be done and that's why she shares her story. "If you don't understand where we are coming from and what has impacted our lives, you can't make the necessary changes," said Robertson. "And there needs to be a lot of changes to make in Canada with both the people and the government."
Robertson was taken from her home when she was 10 years old and spent the next several years in residential schools near London and Brantford.
She said she used to be ashamed of her past, but now tells her story to help residential school survivors heal from their experiences. "It was a hellhole-- it was like I was living in hell, that's how I felt. You sort of lose hope," said Robertson. "But I just realized as a young person that I couldn't live like that, with all that anger and hurt-- it's a heavy burden to carry. So for my own benefit, I had to deal with it." Robertson began speaking and educating Canadians about the legacy of colonialism in 1995. She said we can still the see ripple effects of residential schools, and that there's a clear connection between the schools of the past and the missing and murdered Indigenous woman of today. "We all had such a low self-esteem when we came out of residential schools, and that seems to get passed onto the children as well," said Robertson. "I know that young girls will go out looking for affection and sometimes it's misplaced, so if they don't have role models to follow, they're prey to disaster." Robertson continues to encourage other residential school survivors to talk about their experiences. In 2018, Robertson was awarded the Order of Ontario for her work.
