Mount Royal University honours residential school survivor
Mount Royal University presented Blackfoot Elder Miiksika’am with an honorary Doctor of Laws Tuesday at an outdoor drive-in convocation ceremony.
“It’s a happy moment in my life,” said elder Miiksika’am.
Miiksika’am was sent to the Old Sun Residential School near Gleichen at the age of six.
His mother told him that he had to stay there a long time, never speak his language, and he had to learn English.
However, despite the oppression of the residential school system, Miiksika'am never lost sight of who he was.
“Today I look back and it taught me courage to not take that spirit away from me,” said Miiksika’am. “My language, who I am. They never succeeded, that drove me to set my sights to what I am going to be.”
Miiksika’am went on to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces and to lead his community as a spiritual leader.
The recent discovery of 215 children’s remains in Kamloops this week weighs heavily on Miiksika’am.
“It puts a heaviness in our hearts,” said Miiksika’am. “Anybody that passes away, especially children, everyone feels the emotion of that loss.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
What Canadians think of the latest Liberal budget
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it's too late
Christine Roess is a retired consultant. Ezra Bozeman has spent the last 49 years in prison, serving a life sentence for a murder he says he didn’t commit. Against the odds, the two fell in love.