Muskeg Lake band member joins advisory committee

A Saskatchewan resident has been appointed to the newly formed national
Indian Residential School Survivor Committee, he will sit amongst a group as an advisor to the federal government' s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Eugene Arcand of Muskeg Lake Cree Nation said he is working with nine other
members from around the country who to him, give off a "good vibe."
Arcand was introduced to the other residential school survivors during a two-day meeting held in Ottawa in early August.
"We all agreed that we are going to
do the best that we can to move forward for all survivors, we understand that
there are high expectations of us," said Arcand, who added that he was pleased
that the TRC's objectives were on track with the mission of the selected committee.
Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl announced the establishment of the Indian Residential School Survivor Committee on July 15.
Arcand and the rest of the group will be responsible for connecting the TRC with appropriate liaisons in each of the communities and relay up-to-date
information about regional and national events.
With almost four decades of experience working with Saskatchewan's First Nation communities, Arcand may be the perfect person to connect the federal government to the prairie province's residential school survivors.
"Most of the survivors in Saskatchewan know who I am, I went to school both in the north and the south," said Arcand, who spent 10 years at the St. Michael Indian Residential School in Duck Lake and one year at the Lebret Student Residence, both in Saskatchewan.
Communicating with residential school survivors throughout Canada is a goal that William Blackwater, President of the National Residential School Survivors Society (NRSSS), agreed should be a priority.
Blackwater stressed that an open
dialogue between the former students and the committee, which has been designed
to represent them, is crucial.
"Survivors are always wondering what is going on," said Blackwater, whose organization represents around 25,000 members.
As a former student of the Alberni Indian Residential School in Port Alberni, BC,
Blackwater called the committee "a step in the right direction." Blackwater also
said he was pleased to see representation of First Nation, Métis and Inuit
survivors amongst the list of the members:

· Barney Williams Jr. is a member of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations in B.C.
· Doris Young has extensive experience in traditional First Nation training
· John Banksland is an Inuit Elder and has held many leadership positions within
his community
· Gordon Williams is from Peguis First Nation in Manitoba
· John Morrisseau is a Metis leader from Grand Rapids, Manitoba
· Lottie May Johnson is Mi'kmaw from Eskasoni, Nova Scotia
· Raymond Arcand is the former
Chief of Alexander First Nation in Alberta
· Rebekah Uqi Williams is a resident of Iqaluit, Nunavut
· Terri Brown is First Nation and works with the Dene Nation in Northwest Territories
Eugene Arcand was honoured with the
Prince Alberta Citizen of the Year Award and inducted into the Saskatchewan
First Nation Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. He has spent the majority of his long
career creating opportunities for youths to get involved in sports.
The former vice-chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) said
getting a spot on the Indian Residential School Survivor Committee was just like
applying for any other job.
Arcand sent in a resume and eventually received a call he had made it on the short list before finding out he had secured one of the unpaid positions.
"It's certainly an honour to have a chance to bring forward the perspectives, opinions and recommendations of the survivors," said Arcand.
Despite Arcand's excitement to work with the TRC and the nine other committee members, he explained that they are now responsible for honouring all residential school survivors by informing the public about a poignant part of Canadian history.
"It's not about us," said Arcand in regards to himself and the other committee members. "We do whatever we can to not only allow our people to share our stories, but to educate the Canadian public, which are still pretty much in the dark when it comes to the era of residential schools."
The survivor committee discussed a cohesive vision statement at the first meeting.
The TRC and the committee will meet quarterly, at minimum. The TRC is a result
of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA), which came into effect on September 2007. Their main objective is to document and share the stories of Indian residential school survivors.