In recognition of National Indigenous Languages Day, Algoma University is proud to share a powerful new episode of its faculty-led, award-winning podcast, The Human Challenge, featuring Dr. Shirley Horn, Elder, Survivor, Co-Founder of the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association (CSAA), and Algoma University’s first-ever Chancellor.
Titled “Shirley: A Residential School Story,” the episode is named in honour of Dr. Horn’s newly released children’s book. It offers a deeply moving account of her lived experience in two residential schools, her lifelong journey of healing, and her enduring commitment to community, education, and language revitalization.
Grounded in truth and reconciliation, the episode was recorded in the Shingwauk Anishinaabe Students’ Association (SASA) lounge, Elders’ room, located on the former grounds of the Shingwauk Indian Residential School. The thoughtful setting reflects the significance of Dr. Horn’s return as both a former student and the University’s first Chancellor, completing a deeply meaningful full-circle journey.
Hosted by Vanessa Ferlaino, sessional professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics (FoBE), this special episode “is a testament to resilience, truth, and the importance of storytelling,” Ferlaino shared. “Dr. Horn’s voice reminds us of the lasting impacts of residential schools and the critical role Indigenous languages play in healing, identity, and cultural continuity.”
Throughout the episode, Dr. Horn speaks candidly about the trauma of the residential school system, her path toward healing, and her longing to reconnect with Indigenous language and culture. Her story underscores the urgent importance of preserving and revitalizing Indigenous languages as living expressions of identity, knowledge, and community.
“I’ve had a long relationship with Shingwauk,” shared Dr. Shirley Horn, “more than 75 years now. I was here for nine years as a child, and I came back again as a student when I was nearly 60. When I first arrived, we were already being shaped by the regimen of the residential school, where no one thought about the harm of telling children their culture was wrong. We didn’t have our language then, but I remember lying in bed at home in the summer, listening to the Elders speaking it in the kitchen; it made me feel good just to hear it. They took our language away over generations, and I believe it will take time to bring it back, but I know it can be done.”
The Human Challenge is now available on YouTube, Rogers TV, SiriusXM, and major podcast platforms.
In addition to her leadership and advocacy, Dr. Horn’s story is now being shared with younger generations through the children’s book Shirley: An Indian Residential School Story, written and illustrated by fellow alumnus Joanne Robertson.
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