Justice for Mary

Hello, my name is Sarain Fox and I am the great niece of Mary Bell.

Mary is Anishinaabe from Bathchewana First Nation. She spent eight years at the Spanish Residential School. She has spent her entire adult life recovering and fighting for Justice for survivors.

As a child I watched her and my mother work side by side to reclaim their identity and heal for the generation yet to come. My auntie even became my mothers student so she could receive her Social Work Degree.

During the pandemic I spent time with my Auntie and together we made a documentary to share her story called Inendi, the trailer is attached here.

The doc has led to many conversations and touched the hearts and minds of so many across this country and perhaps the world. It has been a powerful experience for Mary.

The documentary aired in the heat of the pandemic in 2020. Auntie was stuck in her home in lockdown for the online premiere. (There was no opening night party or celebration. She didn’t even get to see the reactions on line, because she doesn’t have internet.)

In fact she just got to see the the documentary in a theatre for the first time at The Northern Film Initiative in St. John’s NFL this past August.

We have been travelling a lot together recently.

Last spring we travelled together all the way to California and the worlds largest pow wow, the Gathering of Nations, in Albuquerque, NM.

What came up over and over again on our travels was Mary's dream for her final years, to live in peace and security.

All across the nation government officials are actively trying to create policies and strategies for reconciliation. There have been recommendations from the TRC and calls to action.

Our nation has witnessed the discovery of unmarked graves. Graves of young ones who were stolen from their families in the name of progress.

Children just like Mary.

In our documentary auntie speaks about babies buried in the walls of the basement of the Spanish Residential School. A story we know to hold truth. A truth that was ignored almost all of Mary’s life.

But Mary isn’t silenced any more. She has stories to tell and a legacy to leave.

Everything being done for survivors this month; all the speakers you will hire, the orange t-shirts you will purchase and the day off work you will get- none of it will actually translate to justice for the survivors who are still here.

Even the compensation is taking too long.

The pope came here to apologize for the Vatican’s role in residential schools, he even rescinded The Doctrine Of Discovery. Yet none of that will amount to meaningful compensation in this lifetime for those harmed by the church.

All we want for Auntie Mary is the freedom now, that was taken from her at a young age.

It is a miracle that she has lived to see her 87th birthday. She is the only of her siblings to do so.

She often speaks about the guilt she carries just for surviving. For outliving all of her siblings. She says her brothers and sisters never recovered from the trauma they experienced at residential school.

She misses them dearly and this fundraiser is in their honour as well.

So, here it is, an opportunity to directly impact a survivor’s life.

Our wish for Auntie Mary is to live the remainder of her years without financial burden.

Our first and most urgent goal for fundraising is to purchase Mary a vehicle.

Mary lives in a remote community and it is impossible for auntie to continue living in her house over the winter without a vehicle.

We would also like to make Mary as comfortable as possible and allow her to stay at home as long as possible. So modifications to her home are next on the list. We would also like to renovate her house so she can enjoy the lands she loves most as she’s always dreamed.

The decisions for how the money is to be used is not for us to make.

Whatever brings Mary the most joy and security is the goal.

Please share this with your friends, community, and organizations. Help us go viral!

If everyone donated one dollar a day all month it would dramatically change the course of history for Mary.

This campaign is just as much about creating a movement of kindness and joy as it is about the compensation.

This is reconciliACTION.

Mary deserves to know just how many Canadian’s are committed to real reconciliation- how many people care and how many people are listening to the stories of survivors.

Miigwetch in advance for your contribution’s and support,

Baamaapii,

Sarain Fox