January 19, 2009

Mr. Willie Blackwater, Acting Chairperson,

NRSSS,

Sault St. Marie, Ontario.

Dear Mr. Blackwater,

I have spoken to you and other staff members on the phone re: your message on APTN/CBC re: Contamination of the Commission since the Chair resigned.

I, as a Residential School Survivor of eleven years fully support your message that the commission is contaminated and that we should lobby for a new commission. Change everyone and start anew.

This time in the selection of candidates have the Survivors pick their own staff for the commission.

The selection committee choosing the candidates/staff for the commission should consist of Elders, and Healthy Role Models. Everyone is to be Healthy from the top down.

I strongly believe that if we as Survivors speak out, we will have healthy individuals in place to work on our behalf, not against us.

Healthy Residential School Survivors should lead the way.

Caregivers, Elders, Youth, Women, and Healthy Leadership should get together and form a group.

Our own house has to be cleansed, it is contaminated as well.

We have a lot of work ahead of us, lets all get together and make our vision a reality.

Please feel free to contact me anytime:867-777-8056(w), 867-777-2510(h).

Your sister in the Residential School Movement with the Creator at our side,

Ellen Smith, NWT Residential School Survivor