Her life has been impacted by the legacy of residential schools and documenting and sharing about that history became her life’s work. Kaila Johnston is an intergenerational residential school survivor and member of Ochapowace First Nation. Her mother, grandparents, great-grandparents, and extended family attended schools in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Johnston grew up in Winnipeg and works for the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba as their Education Director.

As a student at the University of Winnipeg at the beginning of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, she was one of the first 25 people to be trained as a statement gatherer. She gathered statements at national and regional events and since then she has worked as a coordinator for statement gathering, worked in community engagements and research before finding her place in the Education department. 

In her current role, Johnston supports educators and students in developing resources, outreach initiatives and public engagement on the legacy of residential schools and other colonial systems. Overseeing statement gathering and helping communities record and store their stories of residential and day schools and related histories are other responsibilities she holds. 

After high school, Johnston went to the University of Winnipeg and got a BA Honours in criminal justice, hoping to work in policing or corrections. One of her advisors connected her with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and while working there she decided to pursue a master’s degree. She completed a Masters of Science in International Crimes and Criminology from Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.

Johnston loved Amsterdam and chose that program because of the International Criminal Court in the Hague. She also got to travel to Rwanda and for her thesis, she studied transitional justice in Canada and Rwanda, examining similarities and differences compared to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Far from home, she experienced a cultural shift and had to learn to stay connected to her culture and heritage. Getting around Europe by transit and bicycle was easy but it was still an adjustment. Initially without band funding, she had to get a bank loan, but eventually her band funding came through. Between the funding changes and the places her program took her, her advice to youth considering leaving home to study abroad would be, “Just go out, check and see what are those other options out there and just know that things may change. We never know what's really set out in the future for us.” 

With a specialty in genocide studies, Johnston went to Poland to the Auschwitz camp and spoke to victims, perpetrators, and government officials. She also went to the International Criminal Court. “The question you probably may be asking is, Was it worth it? With the amount of time and cost and everything that goes into taking something as big as doing a master's program, or going overseas? All of that has contributed to my greater knowledge and understanding of how the world works, how to engage with people, and really how to reach them when it comes to what's happening here in Canada when it comes to truth and reconciliation,” she affirms.

When it comes to obstacles, as a woman of mixed heritage, Johnston often finds people expressing racist opinions not realizing she is Indigenous and she has to decide if she should speak up and educate others. She also faced financial barriers pursuing her education, trying to secure sponsorships, scholarships and funding opportunities. Otherwise, Johnston’s family and community have been impacted by settler colonialism and she looks for ways to give back when she can. 

If she could give her younger self advice it would be to say that she can choose and create her own path based on the desires of her heart, she doesn’t have to follow any prescribed path. She would also urge herself to think about the support she has, the people cheering her on and who are willing to help her along the way. Finally, she would want her younger self to have confidence. 

"I am a strong, resilient Indigenous woman."

To keep her mental health in check, Johnston dives into tv, film, music and podcasts, seeking out humorous and uplifting content to escape the day’s heaviness. She also recommends journaling, talking with friends, families, counsellors or elders, exercise, and self-care at the spa or in the tub. Looking at the circle of health, she suggests balancing the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual, whether that’s through meditation or time in nature.   

For inspiration, Johnston looks to youth. “I find today, youth are more educated, empathetic and understanding as to the challenges we are experiencing today and those root causes of challenges, and then being able to discuss in an open way, what can we do? How can we address them?” she marvels. 

“The duty to accomplish all 94 calls to action, or the calls for justice, or the rights for the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, that doesn't fall on any single person's shoulders. The best piece of advice I was ever given is to find that area of interest, where does your passion sit? Where are your strengths, who is in your network, and be able to utilize all those different areas to then push forward and progress. I see that in a lot of youth today,” she continues, reflecting on the pockets of progress in Reconciliation led by young people she sees in communities.  

"The duty to accomplish all 94 calls to action, or the calls for justice, or the rights for the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, that doesn't fall on any single person's shoulders."

In closing, Johnston points to the quote from the honourable Murray Sinclair, ”It was education that got us in this mess, and it's education that's going to get us out of this mess.” While it refers to educating the public, she also believes it goes beyond that. “It's also about the education and awareness in our own communities, and acknowledging and being aware that there are hurdles and obstacles, but those shouldn't stand in our way. The more we can move forward towards some of those goals or interests that we have, the further we can push along some of those areas or really become the experts to bring the solutions to address some of those challenges,” she dreams aloud. 

Her life has been impacted by the legacy of residential schools and documenting and sharing about that history became Kaila Johnston’s life’s work. From gathering statements as a university student to becoming the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation’s Education Director, she’s found ways to record these important stories. Her journey took her to Auschwitz, Rwanda, the Hague and home again at great personal cost, but in the end, she knows it was worth it.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.