Uniting for Justice, and Honouring the Truth
Around two weeks ago, I randomly got a call from Susan Bibbings. She was one of the eight land defenders who was put on trial and eventually sentenced last year for opposing the construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project in Secwepemcúl’ecw.
It was nice to hear from Susan. It had been awhile – at least a year – since we last chatted. We talked about the trial and potential next steps that land defenders will be taking against the colonial court system. But that’s a story for another day.
She also told me about her friend, Sphenia Jones, a Haida Elder and residential “school” survivor.
Susan briefly explained her friendship with Sphenia, and how Sphenia was planning on taking the Catholic Church to court, along with one of its priests from Edmonton, over comments that he made about residential schools in 2021.
It was here where I learned about Sphenia and her brave endeavour in suing the Church. I admired the courage and the strength of Jones – who is 80 years old – in fighting for the truth on behalf of other residential “school” survivors.
A few days after my talk with Susan, I received a call from Sphenia. She told me that she was interested in speaking to me, and that she wanted the world to hear about her story – the horrors she experienced at the Edmonton Residential School, the pain she felt by the priest’s comments, the healing journey she was embarking on through this case, and how the Catholic Church was trying to silence her by attempting to strike her claim down
“You can share it with your heart's content, dear,” she told me when I asked her if she was okay with me sharing all of this.
As I worked on the story, I got connected with Sphenia’s legal team and the community of people who were rallying behind her. It was incredible and inspiring to see how many people – both Indigenous and non-Indigenous – were coming together to support Sphenia on her journey.
And when the story came out, I couldn’t have been happier with the impact it had. Immediately, Idle No More Treaty 7 responded to the call to action and began organizing drummers and other supporters to be present for Sphenia’s court hearing on Monday.
CBC republished our article, helping to put the story on a national scale. Mainstream media outlets responded by covering the hearing and giving her story more attention.
In the end, the court system sided with Sphenia and her team, declining the Church’s application to strike down her lawsuit. It was a huge win for Sphenia and everyone involved. She called me afterwards and was so ecstatic – she even told me she loved me!
It’s just an amazing feeling to be part of all of this, to meet Sphenia and connect with different people around this one cause. It feels so good to know that I helped bring attention and support to Sphenia’s case. It’s even better knowing that her and her team were successful in court that day. It’s moments like these that remind me why I do the work that I do.
I was also reminded that with community, anything is possible. No matter how daunting the task may be– like suing the Catholic Church – solidarity breeds strength. And how can you not admire Sphenia and be inspired by her? It’s never too late to fight for what you believe in.
This might be just the beginning of Sphenia’s case before the court system, but a win is a win – no matter how small.
So, it’s important to celebrate the little victories. Equally important is appreciating the community of people around you who help make those little victories possible. And always remember that you can make a difference!
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