Part six of a series of stories submitted by members of the Slave Lake Homeless Coalition.

Jule Asterisk
For the Lakeside Leader

Bernice Young started staying outside eight years ago. She and her husband were married young in Manitoba, and when he kicked her out, he kept their home.

Bernice has children and grandchildren in Manitoba. They think she has a home here in Slave Lake, but she doesn’t.

Bernice was at residential school, but just for two days. She becomes very upset when talking about it and can’t continue. Her parents and grandparents also attended residential schools, along with her brother and three sisters. They are all passed on now. One of her sisters was murdered, but there was no investigation.

Bernice’s Kokum (grandmother) told her about residential schools. She said that the authorities “hit them big time.” There was nothing the children could do to stop the abuse, but they should keep in mind that that type of action puts a stain on the spirit of those who do it.

Bernice also said, “So many people went and took the money (from the residential school settlements). Me, I don’t. I won’t bother. Money is nothing; life is power.”

Bernice tries to be strong for other people. She has set up a camp on the SW side of Slave Lake and stayed there the last year and a half. This will be her second winter.

Bernice’s father taught her well, both how to think, and how to survive, and she wants to teach others how to do this as well.

When we interviewed Bernice at her camp, she had several younger people staying there.

Bernice keeps her camp clean and tidy, with a wall constructed of woven branches.

Bernice wants everyone to just let them be, as they are not bothering anybody.

If people are acting up in her camp, she kicks them out. There are quads going around them all hours of the night, and she worries that citizens of Slave Lake blame their camp for what others are doing. It’s people with quads who even set off fireworks sometimes.

“Does the Town have something against homeless people?” Bernice asks. “What if one day you are homeless? You don’t know for a fact it won’t happen … Why bother us? I guess if there isn’t a Mat Program, I’ll take them in, but there are people who are crippled,” (they will have a hard time getting to the camp location).

She adds, “All the kids these days are still living with their moms and dads, but how are you going to do it on your own? Or when the husband kicks the wife out?”

Bernice said that when subsidized housing raised their rents, it can be very difficult for people living on a fixed income.
Bernice tries to help anyone who is on the street.