Elder and knowledge keeper shares family's story with the residential school system

Warning: This story contains distressing details.

ThisNational Indigenous History Month,a Windsor, Ont., elder is sharing her teachings from the community and that includes her family's experiences with the residential school system.

Theresa Sims is the City of Windsor'sfirst-ever Indigenous storyteller. She is an Indigenous community leader, knowledge keeper and elder, of the upper Mohawk, Turtle Clan ofSix Nations of the Grand River.

She is also the daughter of a residential school survivor. Sims' mother attended theMohawk Institute Residential Schoolin Brantford, Ont.

More than 150,000 First Nations, Mtis and Inuit children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded schools between the 1870s and 1997.

Amendments to the Indian Act in 1894 authorized the government to remove an Indigenous child from theirfamily if it was felt they were not being properly cared for or educated and place them in a school. Subsequent amendments to the act in 1920 further reinforced compulsory attendance at the schools.

Children were removed from their families and culture and forced to learn English, embrace Christianity and adopt the customs of the country's white majority.

Sims' mother was one of those children, taken from her father and sisters to go to the institute.

WATCH | The story of Sims' mother and residential school:

The impact of residential schools

2 years ago

Duration 3:47

Indigenous storyteller Theresa Sims shares what her parents had to go through when they were forced to attend residential schools in Canada. A warning, that some of the details are disturbing.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation examining residential schools has identified the names of, or information about,more than 4,100 children who diedwhile attending these schools, most due to malnourishment or disease.

Sims said her mother had to have all of her teeth removed due to malnourishment, while those who ran the school had access to food.

Sims' teaching is one of many across Canada, and she invites us all to learn and take action on the stories Indigenous people have to share.

Click here to see a larger version of the map of residential school locations.

Last week, Sims shared two teachings with CBC Newswhat it means to be 2-spirit, and the story of Chief Tecumseh.

WATCH |Learn about what it means to be 2-spiritand who Chief Tecumseh was

Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools, and those who are triggered by the latest reports.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.