It's been more than 20 years since Micheal Auger moved from his home in the Treaty 8 region to Vancouver to continue his career in the film industry – and to get some space from the long-term impact residential school had on his home community and his family.
The boarding school his family members attended, St. Bruno's, is a 10-minute drive from Driftpile Cree Nation, where Auger grew up, near Joussard, Alta. Even though the school's physical structure is no longer sturdy, Auger, 59, said the devastating effects of the facility continue to impact survivors and their families.
Auger's maternal grandparents, his mother, and several of his siblings attended the institution. Their trauma became his own trauma, he said.
But Auger, who left Driftpile Cree Nation with his wife Petie Chalifoux, added that he is optimistic that survivors and those suffering from intergenerational trauma, like himself, can heal.
This is his story, in his own words.