Sellars's Ideas Of Blood Memory

whenever she confronted situations that reminded her of her past. As shown above, repression became a way of life for many residential school survivors. Some, similar to Sellars, were able to overcome their pain, while others struggled to address their “dysfunctional behavior.”
At the end of the memoir, the concept of “blood memory” becomes evident in Sellars journey towards healing. Younging asserts that his generation inherited their family’s history by merely being who they are (296). In her memoir, Sellars also promotes this idea. She accepts that although her children were not a part of the residential schools, they were exposed to the trauma through her. The reason that the younger Indigenous generations are struggling with self-worth and other similar issues is because the experiences of their ancestors are embedded within them and this is why healing is a complex process within the Indigenous communities. For instance, Sellars mentions that the Mission taught her that she was inferior to White people and her family reinforced these messages. Grams was in residential schools for nine years; thus, she was brainwashed into believing she was …show more content…
When she implements the concept of “blood memory,” she is able to carry forth her journey towards self-healing and to healing those in the Indigenous community, who are impacted by the residential schools. When she achieves personal agency, she becomes a representative of those voices that have been suppressed over the years: “By taking control of her life, becoming an independent woman, being a community leader and attaining a law degree, she broke that "victim mould" which many residential school survivors are labelled,” expresses Turmel. Today, Sellars is an empowered advocate for Indigenous rights and shows that there is hope and possibility for the Indigenous community and their future