Dr. Gabor Maté facilitated the group today and asked the sisters how important spirituality was/is for them. He suggested that it might be an important dimension of their healing journey.

Janet spoke about her lack of identity and trying to find herself as a child growing up as an orphan in Vancouver. She spoke of the joy she experienced dancing with her daughter at the Pow-Wow this summer.

Mealinda spoke of being raised a Catholic, the daughter of a preacher and how painful it still is to talk about.

Sonia was raised white and went to Catholic school. She hates Christianity but believes in a higher power and wants to find her spiritual side. As a child she was taught to be ashamed of being native.

After residential school, Rosa’s mom didn’t want her children going to church or learning the native ways. Rosa ended up hating churches after hearing about all the abuse and missing children in the residential schools. On the walk4justice, Rosa met her parents for the first time in 38 years and they told her that her Indian name means strong spiritual woman.

Vanessa was born and raised in Vancouver and has never really connected with her native spirituality. She has some CD’s of native music which, out of respect, she only listens to when she’s sober.

Darlene grew up Catholic and was both an altar and choir girl but her grandmother also taught her their native language and traditions.

When Sylvia first got clean and sober she hated God but realized she had to change her attitude towards spirituality. Her spirituality is now a blend of many different teachings.