Project Dënegóth Nají (Generational Healing)
VOH Photography was honoured to be asked to participate in a photo project to bring to light the unjust treatment of indigenous people due to the residential schools and Indian hospital system.
Jaylene, “My depiction of the photo is that child that was forced into the church and Christianity. The faded is the spirit. The resilience is so strong in our culture that even when they tried to take our culture, language and tradition away our ancestors were always with us cleansing us and watching over us until we are ready to ground our selves and take back that power which is now happening.”
Jaylene’s words: “Orange Shirt Day began in Williams Lake, BC in 2013 at the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) residential school commemoration event at which survivor Phyllis Webstad told the story of her shiny new orange shirt taken away from her on her first day of school at the Mission.” - CBC News
Orange Shirt Day also know as Every Child Matters is a day where we honor survivors and families of the residential school system and the Indian hospitals, as well as remembering those children that didn’t make it home from those institutions. The last residential school closed in Canada in 1996.
Tony Buggins
My father, Tony Buggins is a survivor. Because of these systems many families including mine have suffered inter-generational trauma. It’s time to heal and break the cycles that have been imprinted in us for far to long. Project Dënegóth Nají (Generational Healing) is dedicated to my father and all the survivors, families and the children who never made it home.
To learn more about the true history of the stolen land we call Canada visit: http://www.trc.ca #OrangeShirtDay #EveryChildMatters #SurvivorsFamilies #DënegóthNají #GenerationHealing #RibbonSkirt
Model Jaylene Delorme Buggins
HMUA Deonna Fetzko from Aurora Hair and Makeup Artistry
Skirt by Candia Flynn from Healing Stitches
Photography and Edits by Heather Fryer from Visions of Heaphen Photography
The strong proud warrior is looking at herself as a child and what she had gone through. She has come a long way and is standing strong. Reflecting upon her youth.
Candia Flynn , Healing Stitches
The “Generational Healing” skirt we created was to honor the survivors and those who never came home from residential school. The young girl sitting with her medicines represents the loss of ceremony and cultural practices that many survivors became robbed of from these horrible institutions. The smoke rising from her smudge bowl represents the young girl’s hope of returning to her traditional ways and community. The elder rising from the smoke represents modern-day survivors taking back what was lost. Her long braid represents resilience. My partner, Don Barnaby, is the child of a residential school survivor. This project was very personal for both him and me. It has been a part of his healing journey from generational trauma. Through Healing Stitches, part of our work helps people tell their stories and create wearable art that can hopefully start healing conversations. - Candia Flynn , Healing Stitches
Jaylene’s Story
We are not disposable!
As a young indigenous woman, life in the stolen land we call Canada is often terrifying. Growing up in the North, I was always surround by my culture. My mom always practiced our culture and made sure we learnt some of the teachings as well. My dad was a radio broadcaster in the Chipewyan language. He would say, he “did it for the elders”. because many of them counted on him for the news and weather as they did not understand English.
English is not the true language of this land. In fact, there is no single true language but many like Cree, Chipewyan, Anishaanaabe , Inuktitut and many more .
You see, growing up I did not get the chance to learn my traditional language. My father is fluent in Chipewyan but due to the residential school system he never passed the language down. He had a fear of us being shamed for speaking it and he did not want us to ever feel that.
This is just a small piece of the inter-generational effects the residential school system has had on me. I will not share my father’s story, as it is not mine to share. However, you can see to this day, that there are still tremendous effects caused by the residential schools and Indian hospital system on those who grew up with them.
When I started my journey of healing, one of the biggest struggles was to also work through that inter-generational trauma I had experienced growing up. I reached out to find resources that could help me to work through this. I wanted to educate myself and understand why these things happened. I also wanted to get counselling to deal with the anger I feel towards the systems and the traumas that stemmed from those exact systems in my life.
My father is the most amazing father any girl could ask for. Unfortunately, I ran into a problem. When searching for resources and funds available to assist those who needed counselling and healing to deal with that intergenerational trauma, I was denied the help simply because I am not his biological daughter.
Working on “Dënegóth Nají, Project (Generational Healing)” has so much meaning to me. When I first thought about this it was to raise awareness. But after working with an amazing team it became so much more. Not only is it to raise awareness, it is to educate, to show fragility, strength, resilience and passion that has been within indigenous peoples for generations.
When the idea came to light from the team to create a fund raiser, it became that much more ... We can make a difference even if it is only for one person. So, the funds raised from Project Generational Healing will go into an accessible fund for survivors and families to start to heal from the effects of the systems that have oppressed indigenous peoples for far too long.
I want to thank every person that helped make Dënegóth Nají (Generational Healing) come to life. Photography team - Heather and Steve Fryer of Visions of Heaphen Photography, Honorary photographer- Chelsea Hee, Hair and Makeup Artist - Deonna Fetzko, Design team - Candia Flynn and Don Barnaby of Healing Stitches
Most of all, I want to dedicate Project Dënegóth Nají (Generational Healing) to my father, Tony Buggins, who made a choice many years ago to be my rock, my guide, my protector and above all my Father. He is a survivor and he is my hero. He has taught me what it means to hold my head high and fight for what I believe in and I believe that WE ARE NOT DISPOSABLE!
- Jaylene Delorme-Buggins
If you’re looking for a photographer for a project please contact me for more information.
visionsofheaphen@hotmail.com
Accredited PPOC Image Manipulation