Restorying Your Story: Reclaiming Your Voice in the Face of Injustices of the Past

The stories we tell ourselves about our lives matter.

How we make sense of the past affects how we make sense of the present— it can mean the difference between continuing patterns of harm and being the one to break the cycle. Scholar and author Michael Gauthier, PhD, knows this struggle intimately. As a young Indigenous man grappling with the lasting effects of colonialism and intergenerational trauma, Michael turned to addiction to ease the pain and found himself in the prison system. In the intervening years, Michael has worked to understand how Indigenous people can find empowerment through the act of restorying their own lives. Gauthier draws on his PhD research in which he carried out Restorying circles using the Medicine Wheel as a guide to help formerly incarcerated Indigenous men map a new future by looking to their past. Now in Restorying Your Story, Gauthier invites readers to explore the universal application of restorying, and how it can be a powerful tool for all of us to build a good life.

Dr. Michael Gauthier is a survivor of the trauma caused by the residential school program. He has translated these negative life experiences into an inspirational self-development philosophy and education program. Michael’s mother was a residential school survivor and she is one of the reasons that he is compelled to help others impacted by this colonialist system to restory their story. Michael advocates for those who are struggling with their past trauma through his and his business partner’s company, Life-Circle. He graduated from Queen's University with both a PhD in Cultural studies and a Masters degree in Education. In addition he has achieved a Bachelors of Arts in Native Studies from Laurentian and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Prince Edward Island in Sociology. Holding consultative and functional positions within the criminal justice system has allowed him the privilege to work as a Negotiator, police officer, correctional officer, Indigenous Community Development officer and a parole officer over the past 3 decades. Michael is the father of two children, and has been married to his wife Carolyn for 25 years. Michael’s First Nation community is Taykwa Tagamou, Cree community located in Northern Ontario.