Survivors’ Flags are flying high and strong at Tofino and Ucluelet’s schools.
The new flags were unveiled at Tofino’s Wickaninnish Community School, Ucluelet Elementary and Ucluelet Secondary during special ceremonies last month. The ceremonies included raising each school’s Canadian flag, which had been flying at half-mast since the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at Kamloops Indian Residential School in 2021.
“In following with SD70’s strategic plan and our school goals, we believe that honouring residential school survivors and those who never made it home is integral to a meaningful recognition of Truth and Reconciliation,” Ucluelet Elementary principal Robyn Ross told the Westerly News after her school’s ceremony.
“The Survivors’ Flag is a symbol of a terrible tragedy of Canadian history that took place as the government attempted to destroy Indigenous ways of knowing and being. We all need to remember and work towards learning about what happened and to truly be open to systemic change.”
She added that the school’s students had been learning about the atrocities at residential schools in the lead up to Canada’s National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
“Our elder Donna Jack, YFN education manager Karen Severinson, our teachers and staff have found so many ways to make the learning of such a terrible truth be understood by all students through art, storytelling, discussion and togetherness. As well, organizations such as the Orange Shirt Society develop fantastic age-appropriate activities for all students,” she said. “Throughout September our students learned about the symbolism in the flag and appreciate and understand the importance of never forgetting.”
Students and faculty gathered outside UES on Sept. 27 to witness the unveiling of their school’s new flag.
“It was an honour for me to have the opportunity to work with the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government and coordinate such a powerful and moving ceremony. Having our elder Donna Jack unveil the flag and hearing her say, ‘This was a long time coming,’ made the day something I will never forget,” Ross said.
The elementary students then walked to the Secondary School’s Survivors’ Flag unveiling and ceremony.
“The Survivors’ flag is an expression of remembrance meant to honour residential school survivors and all lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada,” said USS principal Drew Ryan.
Ryan explained that each element depicted on the flag was carefully selected by residential school survivors across Canada, including a Tree of Peace and seven cedar branches.
“The family, some saw the adults as their ancestors watching over us, others saw these as parents signifying whole families ripped apart and also for reuniting, representing healing,” Ryan said. “More than one child is depicted in this design as often whole sibling groups were taken away from their parents, younger siblings, grandparents and community…The seeds below the ground represent the spirits of the children who were never returned home, although they have always been present and they are now being searched for and seen.”
He added that the flag also depicts a Metis sash.
“Certain colours of thread represent lives that were lost, while others signal connectedness as humans and resilience through the trauma. All the threads woven together spell a part of history, but no single thread defines the whole story,” he said.
Jeneva Touchie offered a prayer to begin the ceremony followed by a celebration song written by residential school survivor Dwayne Martin of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation.
“It was the first song I made when I was going through my healing from residential school,” Martin told the Westerly. “It was a big part of my healing. That song says, ‘My spirit soars because I have the teachings’ and it’s thanking our ancestors for those teachings.”
He added that he gave the school permission to use the song during the ceremony.
“It’s so people can see that our culture is coming back and it’s coming back strong through our younger people,” he said.
Martin said he is also working on a healing song for the school.
“It says, ‘The winds of change are coming’ and it’s talking about how we’re learning to heal and integrate and understand each other,” he said.
Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ– Ucluelet First Nation president Charles McCarthy spoke during the ceremony, noting he is a third generation residential school survivor.
“Moving forward and where we are now sets the groundwork for the future generations of our people to move forward, to get out of that system. We’re moving up and uplifting ourselves now. This is a long way to go to feel where we are one of our own being,” McCarthy said.
“To always be feeling that you’re inadequate or whatever was always something that was ingrained in us from the people that were doing what they thought was discipline to take out what we believed in…It’s about moving forward. In order to move forward, we have to start somewhere. I think this is a start. This is where we begin to be ourselves.”
The flag was unveiled by Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation educator Timmy Masso and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Elder Richard Mundy and, after it was raised, Masso addressed the ceremony’s audience on behalf of Mundy.
“Richard has been thinking about this for a long time, reflecting on it. When Richard was growing up, his parents weren’t there. His parents were lost and for so long Richard has sat here thinking why. Why weren’t his parents there? Why were his parents not loving? Why were they not seeing the world around them? Richard has realized it’s not our fault. It’s not his parents’ fault. They were put in this position,” Masso said.
“They were not allowed to carve. He says that his father always wanted to carve a canoe and the government wouldn’t allow him to. His mother didn’t have access to weaving grass. From that, his family was so broken. But, this is also something that Richard has thought about. This isn’t our fault. This is something that the government has done, but our people are so much more than this. We have thousands and thousands of years of history. This last 150 have been very dark, but our people are still here.”
Masso added that he and Mundy had visited a USS language class that day and been uplifted by what the students were learning.
“To hear what everyone is doing is so uplifting. Our language is coming back. Our youth are standing up and speaking. We need more of this. We need to make sure our youth, Nuu-chah-nulth, everyone can move forward together,” he said.
“Richard just wanted to stand up today and acknowledge that history, but also acknowledge that our people are still here and there is so much more history than the last 150 years.”
Ryan thanked Masso and Mundy for their words and encouraged the audience to research the teachings and meaning of the flag’s images.
“What powerful words on such a powerful, special day,” he said.
He noted USS students had been working hard studying and putting together presentations that were displayed on Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.
“It’s important that it’s not one day, it’s everyday,” he said.
Tla-o-qui-aht member Howard Tom also spoke during the ceremony, noting his sons and granddaughters have gone through USS.
“It’s ensuring our younger generation have a place and that there’s opportunity for them,” Tom told the Westerly following the ceremony. “It’s a beautiful place. Everyone that’s been here can all see that we are one and it’s been mentioned time and time again that we can walk together and learn together.”
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