My Momma is almost 83, about five-foot-nothing. A tiny lady, but she’s a pistol. She’s sweet and beautiful and a great mom. She loves the outdoors — bird watching, flowers, gardening, fishing, nature.
She was born Betty Anne Blackbird and grew up in a one-room log cabin, where she lived with her family on the Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation, on Treaty 2 land in Manitoba.
When Momma was five, all the kids were gathered at the church on the reserve. The RCMP loaded them into a cattle truck. Those kids stood up during the 64-kilometer drive to the residential school in Birtle, Manitoba. They just took the kids; Grandma and Grandpa had no choice.
Momma calls it the little jail for children. She talks about the little kids’ dorms and how they separated her from her siblings, how they changed the way they dressed and how regimented everything was. There was a great deal of abuse and loneliness.
Momma locked away many of the memories. Now they’re starting to rattle loose. She’ll start talking about something, and then the story fades as fast as it starts. Many memories are of the bad things. It amazes me that she lived through it.
I sat in a Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing with Momma, and I listened to her and to other survivors speak. I've never been so upset and angry. It was hard to hear what those kids went through.
Momma stood up and gave the most eloquent speech I’ve ever heard. She said, “I forgive you. I can’t forget, and you can’t take it away from me, but I forgive you.” And I thought, “You are the most amazing lady.”
When I told Momma that I was asked to share her story at work, she was so pleased. She said, “People need to understand that it happened.”
On September 30, 2021, during the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I was on a project site in Grande Cache. I cried a lot that day, but I was so pleased when at noon PCL sounded the crane horns. I was so proud of PCL for doing that.
I remember thinking, “Thank God. Finally, finally, with this Truth and Reconciliation Day, they’re saying that it happened.”
Momma is my best friend, and I'm so proud of her.
Cindy Kooy-Hogg
Truth and Reconciliation
and
Orange
Shirt Day
PCL Recognizes Indigenous History
Throughout September
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day
Friday, September 30
September 30 is Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. Throughout the month, we will commemorate residential school survivors and their families and recognize the tragedy and legacy of the residential school system.
In my four years at PCL, I’ve seen an evolution of awareness and understanding — that’s a positive step for our company. Our hearts are in the right place, and we’re all learning together.
I encourage every PCLer to be a researcher, a student, a knowledge seeker. By being curious, compassionate and informed, we can better understand the history and experiences of Indigenous peoples in our communities and right here at PCL.
At PCL, we look for ways to make our workplace more inclusive and safer for people from all cultural backgrounds and ensure that all employees feel a sense of belonging.
Please set aside some time to learn as much as you can about the residential school experience and talk about what the journey forward might look like and how we can all foster an environment of understanding and healing.
Indigenous Relations Manager, Winnipeg
Josh Girman
Materials Coordinator, Edmonton Industrial Management
Cindy’s aunt Stella Blackbird (otherwise known as Red Eagle Woman) was a medicine woman. In this video, Stella shares her memories of residential school and her path to healing and belonging through traditional plant-based medicine.
Elderhood
To learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion at PCL, see our Connects page or reach out to your district DE&I Committee.
FEATURE STORY
Message to PCLers
DE&I Statement
Cindy (right) enjoys the sunshine with her best friend and mom, Betty Anne
Learning Resources
Whose Land
Phyllis Webstad’s Personal Story
University of Alberta’s Indigenous Canada Online Course
Check out the web-based app, Whose Land, to identify the Indigenous territories and communities across Canada that your homes and projects are situated on.
Read the personal story of Phyllis Webstad, the creator of Orange Shirt Day.
If you’d like to continue learning more about Indigenous history and perspectives on your own time, consider participating in the University of Alberta’s Indigenous Canada online course.
Learn More
Learn More
Learn More
