At a gathering like this, it would be an understatement to call residential schools the elephant in the room. The profoundly flawed attempt to assimilate generations of aboriginal people has left such an impact, it feels more like the room is inside the elephant.

On June 15, the largest class of social workers ever to graduate from Caring for First Nations Children Society shared a meal at the Juan de Fuca field house before heading off to try and do a better job of protecting some of the most vulnerable kids in the province.

At the CFNCS Langford office, trainees experience morning prayers, drum songs and sharing circles as well as classroom work on the intricacies of working in aboriginal communities.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e going to understand how to connect with families in a real, respectful way,B次元官网网址� said Gail Roach-Leforte, training manager at CFNCS, as she looked over the group that came from First Nation communities as far away as Cranbrook.

The 80 or so people in attendance recently completed the course at the societyB次元官网网址檚 Granderson Road office.

The Langford-based agency, which relies on both government and private funding, runs provincially mandated training for social workers employed by Aboriginal Child and Family Services Agencies in BC.

B次元官网网址淭hings have really changed,B次元官网网址� Roach-Leforte said, about her experience over the two years sheB次元官网网址檚 worked at the society. B次元官网网址淲hen I came, there was one drum and it was rarely used.B次元官网网址�

Now there are 16.

The 22 delegated agencies in B.C. were created to administer child protection services in aboriginal communities.

Social workers hired by the agencies are required to have training that will enable them to see their roles through the lens of aboriginal culture. To do that, they first have to understand the legacy of residential schools and the damage wreaked by misguided attempts to wipe out that very culture.

Ian Clark, a trainer/instructor with CFNCS, said there used to be an authoritarian attitude among social workers during the era of residential schools, which lasted from the 19th century until as late as 1996.

B次元官网网址淲e really emphasize the history of child welfare practises in this country, particularly in British Columbia,B次元官网网址� Clark said, explaining that the legacy of being seen as authority figures who made up rules often created a deep distrust of officials.

Now, the emphasis is on empowering families and their community to keep kids safe as close to home as possible.

That means understanding traditional support networks, such as grandparents, who can be called on to provide a sanctuary if needed.

Historically, that was the way communities would look out for their children and families.

The shift to relying on the state for protection eventually led to the infamous B次元官网网址�60s scoop. The Euro-centric mentality that pervaded the era believed children could be B次元官网网址渟avedB次元官网网址� by replacing their aboriginal culture with a mainstream identity. Generations of kids were taken from their homes and grew up never learning how to parent because they never saw how it was done.

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 fair to say thereB次元官网网址檚 a poor track record for caring for children who came into care of the ministry,B次元官网网址� said Ray Bronson, the provinceB次元官网网址檚 director of delegated aboriginal agencies.

B次元官网网址淭here are going to be times, absolutely, when youB次元官网网址檙e going to have to remove someone to keep them safe,B次元官网网址� said Bronson, who spoke to the grads about the challenges they can expect as they begin their careers. The job is not for everyone and often can feel like youB次元官网网址檙e B次元官网网址渄amned if you do and damned if you donB次元官网网址檛.B次元官网网址�

However, there are successes. Those times when social workers manage to support people to make needed changes B次元官网网址� such as overcoming addiction B次元官网网址� to allow them to remain part of their kidsB次元官网网址� lives.

Bronson said it will take generations before the damage left by residential schools can be considered healed.

B次元官网网址淲ith aboriginal children, itB次元官网网址檚 doubly important for them to know their culture,B次元官网网址� Bronson said, noting the governmentB次元官网网址檚 reach diminishes greatly as children grow into adults. B次元官网网址淥nce kids age out of care, they go searching for their identity, go searching for their families.B次元官网网址�

That search takes an emotional toll that can lead to addiction and despair and often creates a new generation of parents who make poor choices.

ItB次元官网网址檚 a cycle that modern social workers hope to end by figuring out the strengths in a childB次元官网网址檚 family and how to use them to keep kids in a community theyB次元官网网址檙e familiar with.

Lee Smith, a guardianship worker with Surrounded by Cedars based in Victoria, was among the trainees who graduated June 15.

She said sheB次元官网网址檚 seeing more and more aboriginal people choosing to do social work. Still, there are many people in the field who donB次元官网网址檛 have any personal connection to First Nations culture.

B次元官网网址淚n my experience, working with people from the B次元官网网址榤ainstream,B次元官网网址� thereB次元官网网址檚 not a lot in the history books that acknowledges aboriginal history,B次元官网网址� said Smith, who considers herself Metis but wasnB次元官网网址檛 brought up on a reserve.

During the training at CFNCS, she noticed many of her colleagues develop a new appreciation for clients after learning about cultural differences, and, of course, the pitfalls that permeate many communities scarred by the residential school experience.

B次元官网网址淭his is it. This is the core program to teach someone without an aboriginal background about that knowledge, about respect.B次元官网网址�

editor@goldstreamgazette.com

B次元官网网址� Sharing the Journey is a series of features stories running in the Gazette on First Nations in our community

Part 1:

Part 1 (b):

Part 2: Training helps social workers better understand cultural strengths of First Nations