Jenny Sutherland & How Canada’s Darkest Secret Impacts Kids In Care

The Story Behind the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women of Canada

Jenny Sutherland is a professional psychotherapist and social worker with Connor Homes, an Ontario Treatment Network supporting indigenous kids in care. To better understand this issues Jenny founds in the communities she served, she delved into the dark hidden history of Canada’s residential schools as part of her master’s program. She figured that there had to be some clues there as to the devastation to the family and attachment issues being presented among the First Nations families she was helping.

Jenny was surprised and profoundly saddened by what she uncovered. Until things get better on a larger scale, Jenny has developed training programs for those working in the field as well as for the foster parents supporting the kids who are living the continuation of the devastation that was the residential school system. She surmised that equipping the adults around the kids with tools and history to help rebuild personal and cultural pride would be a first step in the long journey of healing.

Out of the 30,000 plus kids in Canada’s care system almost 50% of them are indigenous and receive a large % less in financial resources to serve and support a healthier and happy childhood. As a white Canadian, when I heard this I was astounded. In fact I still am.

I heard Jenny speak at a fundraiser for the missing and murdered indigenous women during the summer solstice. I really had no idea about the issues surrounding the residential schools, the families and the indigenous people of Canada. I hear commentary and opinion all around me but never “the story”. When Jenny speaks, she refers to it as Canada’s “best kept secret”. Through her talks, she is bringing it into the light. Through her trainings, she is educating a population and helping to heal this generation of kids who were born of survivors and survivors of survivors.

If you want to contact Jenny to have her speak: jennysutherland@live.ca
If you want to get involved with fostering, contact her through Connor Homes: jennysutherland@connorhomes.ca

The film referred to We Were Children can be downloaded at the NFB