National Survivors Gathering
The Siksika Health-Traditional Wellness Program Coordinator, Leanne Sleigh, was invited to present at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Survivors Gathering which was held in Ottawa from December 15 to 18, 2025. The theme focused on “Live Life the Way it was intended to be” which marks the 10-year anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions Report.
The topics of the speakers and breakout sessions were to speak about reflections on healing in the last 10 years. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada held seven national gatherings (events) to document the history and impacts of the Indian Residential Schools system. These events were held across the country between 2010 and 2014 to engage and educate the public, and to provide a safe space for Survivors and their families to share their experiences. Over 6,750 statements were collected from Survivors and others affected by the residential school experience.
On December 16, 2025, Leanne was part the panel of three, along with Dr. Levinia Brown and Laurie McDonald. The speakers spoke about their personal experience of what worked in their community and helped with healing for themselves and their community at large.
The presentation that Leanne provided at the National Gathering was her personal healing journey as an IRS survivor and the work she was doing in the community with a team of 2 frontline workers and Cultural Support Providers. Their monthly frontline trainings brought them through a series of teachings on social impacts related to IRS survivors and how to navigate the system under the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.
While working with the Alberta Region under the direction of Dr. Brenda Reynolds, Leanne was given the opportunity to attend the seven TRC National Gatherings and worked as one of several team leaders at each event. This experience gave her a firsthand look at the trauma many shared while attending one of the 139 Indian Residential Schools in Canada. She stated that 90% or more requested for grounding ceremonies that were provided by cultural support offered at each event.
She says she was guided divinely by the ancestors who came to her in dreams and spoke with her to help the people because of the suffering they experienced. She took the opportunity to connect with the Siksika Traditional grandfathers and met with them to collectively pull together a process to help IRS survivors and their families with healing and connecting back to their culture. Our culture and ceremonies are still there for our people and learning about their identity and the sacredness brought about the healing and restoration of everyone that took part in the workshops and ceremonies offered through Siksika Health. Our ancestors left us that most important piece which was our Blackfoot language and our culture, it was never lost and that is key component in the services her program offered to the survivors and their families. The once known as Indian Residential Health Support Program officially changed to Traditional Wellness Program that offers the Siksika Way of Life teachings. Her guides continue to be the Traditional Grandfathers/mothers of Siksika.
She ended with a statement of encouragement to the participants in attendance that
hope is not lost for individuals, the answer to healing lies within their culture and their language. The colonial systems need to change as well as our language and action to bring about lateral empowerment. Our heroes (survivors of IRS) suffered for us to be here today, let’s walk together in unity to bring about this change for the future generation.
In attendance with Leanne Sleigh at this National Survivors Gathering, there was Jackie Weasel Fat, Clement Leather, Floria Duck Chief, Dyan Breaker, Rufus Pretty Youngman, Rilee Good Eagle and Jonathan Sleigh.
In closing, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in our community, and it takes each one of us to make each task achievable. While we still have our traditional leaders, we need to learn from them, teach our language to our youth and everyone. There is good progress happening across the board within Nation departments and programming. Change is happening. One day we will look back and say, “we were once told we were savages and they wanted to kill the Indian in us”, but today we beat that through the strength of our culture and language and Apistotoki.
