Honest dialogue, ongoing learning and concrete action are necessary to right past wrong, Governor General Louise Arbour said on Wednesday as Canadians across the country mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Wednesday for the fifth consecutive year, honouring the survivors of residential schools and those who never made it home.
“Many Canadians, myself included, did not grow up knowing this history. Facing it can be painful and unsettling, but understanding the truth is essential to building a more just future,” Arbour said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We cannot change the past, but we can choose how we move forward,” she added.
The work of reconciliation “begins with listening with empathy to First Nations, Inuit and Métis voices,” she said.
“It continues through honest dialogue, ongoing learning and concrete action to address the inequities inherited from past wrongs,” she added.
Beginning in the 19th century, more than 150,000 Indigenous children in Canada were separated from their families and communities and sent to church-run residential schools where abuse, malnutrition and inadequate health care were rampant.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded in its landmark 2015 final report that the school system was a central element of a state-backed policy of cultural genocide.
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Between 1857 and 1996, 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded residential schools. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission initially documented the deaths of 3,200 children at residential schools. However experts at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation — who continue to comb through millions of records — say the actual number could be much higher.
The establishment of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 was among the recommendations in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report.
CBC/Radio-Canada, APTN and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation are hosting their annual Remembering the Children event on Parliament Hill.
The 90-minute ceremony will feature speeches from residential school survivors, elders and Indigenous leaders. Performances by Tia Wood, Soleil Launière, Silla and Adrian Sutherland are also scheduled.
Guests and participants are encouraged to bring a pair of children’s shoes to place at the front of the stage to honour the children who attended residential schools.
Separate events to mark the day are taking place across the country, including in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Iqaluit.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to speak at an event in Edmonton.
“On this day, we gather to honour every child taken by the residential school system and to stand in solidarity with those who survived it. As denialist voices seek to distort the past, our collective responsibility to uphold the truth is more important than ever,” said Stephanie Scott, the executive director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
“Honouring these children means facing our history with unwavering honesty and ensuring that ‘Never Again’ is not just a phrase, but a binding commitment backed by meaningful action.”
Canadian Heritage Minister Marc Miller said the day is an opportunity for non-Indigenous and Indigenous Peoples to come together and reflect on the legacy of residential schools.
“Reconciliation is a responsibility we all share, and by connecting with each other and our history, we can help build a future grounded in understanding, respect and hope.”
— with files from Canadian Press
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