Inside The Walls Of Residential Schools: Freddy’s Story

Residential Schools have claimed the lives of far too many Indigenous children. As more and more unmarked graves are discovered, Indigenous members of the community are coming forward to share their stories.

* This video is graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers.

Freddy Taylor is a Residential School survivor and graciously offered to share his story with us.

There doesn’t seem to be any words significant enough to describe what took place in Residential Schools. Horrific and disgusting are two words that come to mind, but neither seem to do justice.

Taken from their homes in the middle of the night. Stripped of their language, identity and culture. Becoming a number instead of a person. Enduring and witnessing various forms of abuse. Never knowing when their next meal would be, or if it would be enough. Scavenging for food and eating at the dump. Having no idea when or if they would see their families again.

That’s only a fraction of the torture the Indigenous communities and children faced.

It was 10 years before Freddy returned home.
He went 10 years without seeing his family.
Lived 10 years without love and comfort.
Freddy spent 10 years simply trying to survive.

There are no words.

When Freddy was taken to Mohawk Institute, nobody knew the uphill battle that laid ahead for him.

You don’t know what you don’t know.
It is critical that we open our ears to listen to and learn from Indigenous communities.

National Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line – 1-866-925-4419

To learn more about Indigenous Communities and their culture, check out this FREE course offered by the University of Alberta.