An elder from the Buffalo River Dene Nation says the impact of the residential school system on his people can’t be understated.
Alfred Byhette first attended the school in Beauval in 1939.
Byhette says it was a tough time for him even though he was only there for a few years.
He says the school system changed how people relate to one another on his reserve.
Byhette adds many people have forgotten how to care for one another like they used to, and have subsequently turned to substance abuse:
“People used to care for and love one another before alcohol and drugs were brought onto the reserves.”
Byhette was testifying at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing in Dillon, which wraps up this afternoon.