15. Residential School Counselor and Facilitator, Brad Marsden

Brad Marsden (Gitsegukla Reserve within the Gitksan Nation in Northern British Columbia) is a Life Coach, Residential School Counselor and Facilitator. He graduated from a Wellness Counselor Program in 2008 and has been trained in SafeTalk as well as Suicide Intervention at the Crisis Center of British Columbia. He provides interactive workshops called, "Impacts of Residential School & Colonization Workshop" for non-native service providers so they can have a better understanding of Native people.

Brad is an Inter-generational Survivor of the Residential School, raised by his grandparents who went there. Although he never attended the school himself, he describes being raised by the same beliefs, attitudes and behaviors’ that his primary caregivers and community experienced in Residential Schools. All of his important early childhood development was greatly influenced by their experience in those schools. 

"It is my goal to help my people move forward in their lives by helping them and society become more accurately aware of the history of the Residential School and the effects that it had and still has on our communities today, and more importantly our children," said Brad.

Brad Marsden Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-marsden-394b086a/

Please note: Canada and the U.S. had a parallel system of Residential Schools, but they are more commonly known as Boarding Schools in the U.S. 

Residential schools for Aboriginal people in Canada date back to the 1870s. Over 130 residential schools were located across the country, and the last school closed in 1996. These government-funded, church-run schools were set up to eliminate parental involvement in the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual development of Aboriginal children.

During this era, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were placed in these schools often against their parents' wishes. Many were forbidden to speak their language and practice their own culture. While there is an estimated 80,000 former students living today, the ongoing impact of residential schools has been felt throughout generations and has contributed to social problems that continue to exist.

On June 11, 2008, the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Government of Canada, delivered a formal apology in the House of Commons to former students, their families, and communities for Canada's role in the operation of the residential schools. 

Learn MORE - Residential / Boarding Schools in Canada & U.S. 

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
http://www.trc.ca/about-us.html

The Residential School System (UBC Indigenous Foundations)
https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/the_residential_school_system/

National Museum of the American Indian
https://americanindian.si.edu/education/codetalkers/html/index.html

Educational Curriculum - Facing History & Ourselves
Stolen Lives: The Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Indian Residential Schools 
https://www.facinghistory.org/stolen-lives-indigenous-peoples-canada-and-indian-residential-schools

Documentary:
Unseen Tears: The Native American Boarding School Experience in Western New York
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioAzggmes8c