Topic: Generational Trauma

Beyond disease, residential schools were rife with physical and sexual abuse perpetrated by staff, many of whom were affiliated with the Catholic Church. Many children died attempting to flee the schools into the harsh Canadian wilderness. The long-term impact of these institutions includes a cycle of trauma and addiction, as generations of Indigenous people were raised in "concentration camp" environments without parental models to emulate.

Wan traced his lineage to a John Wan who arrived in the American colonies in 1735 and settled in Berks County, Pennsylvania. This ancestor served as a drummer in a Pennsylvania regiment during the Revolutionary War. Sharing this discovery with his father provided a sense of "generational healing," as it transformed his father's negative perception of their family history into one of pride and historical significance.