By Myriam Brenner (FSWC Education Coordinator)

Just four years old, Dorene Bernard was forced to attend the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School in Nova Scotia, the only residential school in Atlantic Canada. Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik and other Indigenous students lived there from 1930 to 1967. It consisted of a large property with barns, farm buildings and fields.

As part of their strict daily routines, Bernard and the other residential school students were subjected to multiple forms of abuse, including harsh punishments, poor healthcare and nutrition.

Today, Bernard is a Mi'kmaq activist and water protector. For more than 20 years, she has worked in native child welfare and community support. As a member of the Grassroots Grandmother Circle, she coordinates efforts in social justice work, child welfare issues, missing and murdered Indigenous women, cultural education and water teachings. Her main focus has been the Indian Residential School Legacy Project, documenting the history of survivors in the Atlantic region.

The former site of the school was designated as a national historic site in 2020. It’s a powerful reminder of the trauma endured by Indigenous children, like Bernard, at the school and ensures this part of Canada’s Maritime history is not forgotten. Bernard helped compose the text on commemorative plaques at the memorial that bears witness to those children who lost their lives there. It’s a poignant symbol of the resilience of the survivors and ensures that we remember - “Mikwite’tmek.”

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/T5176YRvcVA?si=O4amzQBa1AzlAyTL