A Journey of Discovery, Truth and Reconciliation | Cecelia Reekie | TEDxLangleyED
My Personal Journey of Discovery
Acknowledgment and Introduction
- The speaker begins by acknowledging the Quin Katy and Mount Sque First Nation for their support over the past 20 years, emphasizing the importance of community in their life.
- The speaker invites the audience to join them on a personal journey, asking them to set aside distractions for the next 18 minutes.
Early Life and Adoption
- Born in June 1963, the speaker's mother was a 15-year-old girl from Butale who faced societal challenges as an unwed pregnant teen.
- After birth in Prince Rupert, the speaker was placed in a nursery where their mother could not see or hold them due to adoption protocols.
- The speaker spent six weeks with a foster family before being moved to their adoptive family, consisting of a United Church minister father and an elementary school teacher mother.
Growing Up with Adoption Awareness
- The adoptive parents maintained open discussions about adoption, making it a familiar topic rather than a taboo subject.
- At age 24, after having their first son David in 1987, the speaker felt a profound connection that prompted them to seek out their biological roots.
Reunion with Birth Mother
- In 1989, the speaker quickly reunited with their birth mother who lived just 40 minutes away; she had always wondered about her child and had written poems expressing her feelings.
- During this reunion, they learned about their birth father’s identity—CA Paul from Kat Village—and expressed a desire to find him.
Discovering Family Connections
- The speaker's adoptive mother connected familial dots when realizing Aunt Louise might be related to CA Paul.
- Aunt Louise confirmed that she knew of the speaker's existence all along; this revelation highlighted deep-rooted family ties within Indigenous culture where cousins are raised as siblings.
Reunion and Identity
Discovering Family Connections
- The speaker reflects on their Uncle Murray's curiosity about their origins, highlighting the emotional complexity of adoption and belonging.
- The presence of Aunt Louise provided a sense of safety for the speaker’s adoptive parents during the reunion, easing their fears about family connections.
- The speaker expresses gratitude for knowing their identity as part of the Heisler First Nation, embracing their Aboriginal heritage.
Understanding Residential Schools
- As the speaker bonds with their father, he shares his traumatic experiences from being sent to residential school at age 10, revealing intergenerational impacts on family.
- The speaker admits ignorance about residential schools prior to learning from their father's stories, emphasizing the importance of understanding this dark history.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- In 2008, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued an apology to Aboriginal people in Canada regarding residential schools, acknowledging past atrocities.
- The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was established following this apology; the speaker volunteered at a TRC event in Vancouver in 2013.
Personal Journey Through Testimony
- During the TRC event, the father initially hesitates but later decides to testify about his experiences in residential school after encouragement from friends.
- Witnessing her father's testimony was emotionally challenging for the speaker; she supported him by reminding him that sharing his story is crucial for remembrance.
Collective Healing and Commitment to Reconciliation
- At a significant walk organized by TRC where many survivors participated, the speaker realizes her father is no longer alone in his journey towards healing.
- The speaker felt compelled to attend a closing ceremony in Ottawa alone as part of her personal reconciliation journey amidst church bells tolling powerfully during a march.
- She emphasizes that there are 94 recommendations from the TRC report aimed at fostering reconciliation; she challenges others to consider their own commitments toward understanding this truth.