Saskatchewan

Still Here Still Healing: Stories of residential school survivors told in Saskatoon podcast

Jade Roberts never got to ask her father about his residential school experience. He died when she was a teenager. She set out this past year to gather other survivors' stories. 

'We have healing to do as well': Jade Roberts

Roberts said the death of her father motivated her to seek out the stories of others and start the podcast. (CBC Saskatoon)

Jade Roberts never got to ask her father about his residential school experience. He died when she was a teenager.

She set out this past year to gather other survivors' stories. Since April, she has been releasing them in podcast form.

Roberts said that she still feels the effects of residential school, even though she did not attend. 

"I have a lot of friends that are in the same type of situation and we have healing to do as well," she said Monday on CBC Radio's The Morning Edition

"I think about relationships and emotions and how to express myself in a healthy way. That's something that I kind of have to learn still."

Roberts said her father's death motivated her to seek out the stories and start the podcast, Still Here Still Healing. She has done five episodes since April.

Roberts often reaches out on social media and also finds people to talk to who are from her community. She said some people aren't ready to talk.

Her guest in episode two was a friend of her dad's. 

"It's hard to listen to those stories but it's important," she said. 

"I feel like I've learned a lot about my dad through hearing other survivors' stories."

Roberts said the response from listeners has been good so far. Some people told her they didn't know about residential schools before they heard her podcast. 

Going forward, Roberts said she wants to get better at the technical side of things. She had no formal training in audio or broadcast before she started the podcast. 

"I'd like to learn more in order to make the show better," she said. 

With files from CBC Radio's The Morning Edition