Lloyd Desjarlais speaks to RDP students ahead of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. (rdnewsNOW/Ashley Lavallee-Koenig)

By Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

LLOYD DESJARLAIS AT RDP

Speaker shares experiences and generational impact of Residential School survivor

Sep 27, 2024 | 1:15 PM

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) students and members of the public had an opportunity to learn and reflect ahead of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation thanks to a generous storytelling session by Lloyd Desjarlais.

Held in The Loft on the RDP campus, Desjarlais shared his experiences as a descendant of a Residential School survivor, as well as some of the experiences his great-grandfather endured.

“It’s not about looking for sympathy, it’s not about trying to make anyone feel guilty, it’s about exposing some of those stories that haven’t been told yet,” he said. “Throughout Canadian history, it’s always been a one-sided narrative.”

His great-grandfather was raised in the Lebret Residential School, also known as Qu’Appelle, St. Paul’s and Whitecalf. He was entered into the system at three-years-old, despite the 1920 mandate beginning at seven-years-old, because he had already lost both parents and been orphaned.

He attended the school until he was 17, and Desjarlais said he had about a Second or Third Grade level of education when he left.

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“He spent more time working than he actually did learning,” he shared.

While attending the school, his great-grandfather’s hair, an important symbol in the Indigenous culture, was kept short.

This was one legacy that got passed down to Desjarlais, who had kept his hair long as a young child until he received criticism from his great-grandfather, who said it made him look like a girl. He shared that he has been coming to terms with this and has recently started to grow his hair out for the first time in years.

“It may have happened in the past, but for people like me it’s very much still an every day thing,” Desjarlais commented.

He shared that he hoped his stories would foster understanding of and a desire to learn more about what his people have experienced.

“It’s important because it’s unravelling some of the truths that still need to be spoken in terms of truth and reconciliation. There are thousands of stories out there that are similar to this,” Desjarlais said, “and I think it’s important for people to hear those stories.”

On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and after hearing his stories, Desjarlais hopes people will educate themselves and try to better understand why things are the way they are for the community today.

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