By Lucas Szeto | November 29th, 2022
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30th, is a day for Canadians to come together to honour residential school survivors, their families, and Indigenous communities. This day is a public commemoration of the history of Residential Schools and their impact on Indigenous peoples. This historic event originated from an investigation conducted by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) between 2008 and 2015. Their final report included 94 Calls To Action for Canada to address true reconciliation. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was implemented by the Canadian government as one of these calls for actions.
In the Canadian government’s efforts towards addressing the injustices that Indigenous peoples have, and continue to face, a step is taken towards acknowledging Canada’s dark history and past wrongs. But is simply acknowledging the past enough?
There must be many more steps taken towards true reconciliation, which will require the cooperation between different levels of our Canadian Government, the Pope and the Catholic Church, as well as educational institutions. These governing bodies will require personal action from Canadians and Indigenous leaders who wish to honour the steps needed to reach an understanding of reconciliation with our Indigenous peoples.
Here at The Woodlands School, the Truth and Reconciliation Club hosted a series of events throughout the week. Some of these events included; the “I pledge campaign”, where students could show their commitment to fulfill the 94 Calls To Action; a rock painting ceremony; and a memorial garden walk. One of the main highlights of the week was the fundraiser held for Geronimo’s Dream. The goal of this is to raise funds to build a monument at the location of a Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ontario, also known as the "Mush Hole", in remembrance of Indigenous residential school survivors and victims.
As part of a discussion about the symbolism of Truth and Reconciliation Day with Ms. Martin, the teacher sponsor for the Truth and Reconciliation Club, stated: “[It] should be a time of learning and reflection. It is [a] day that honours the children who never returned home and [the] survivors of Residential school[s].” She added that the benefits of these Truth and Reconciliation events are shown in action, meaningful student conversation, and deeper education on the topic of the residential school system.
At The Woodlands, we would like to encourage students to participate in Truth and Reconciliation. The Truth and Reconciliation Club has planned more events to help students acknowledge, remember, and celebrate Canada’s Indigenous history throughout the year. Some upcoming events planned include guest speakers, murals, and many other art pieces that will be displayed around the school, including a collaborative outdoor art piece with the Art Club that will be displayed in the tennis courts.
The TRC provided 94 Calls To Action, but The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is just one of the first to be fulfilled. The question remains; Is one day, or one week enough to recognize reconciliation? Ms. Martin responded by saying; “Reconciliation is always ongoing. In order to achieve the 94 calls to action it should be something that we think about and acknowledge as much as we can.” She firmly believes that Truth and Reconciliation is not simply a time of remembrance, but a lifestyle seeking a change towards reconciliation. “We must be intentional in our actions as students and educators to actively dismantle [our] misunderstanding of the residential school system and seek the truth surrounding it.”
By opening up the conversations about the injustices faced by Indigenous peoples at residential schools, we can help support them, and each other, as we journey together to heal and remember that “Every Child Matters”. This slogan of Orange Shirt Day reminds us of the remaining trauma and discriminatory legislation related to residential schools that Indigenous peoples face, and the importance of the fight for Indigenous rights that Woodlands students can be a part of.
There are Canadian wide resources which can been reached if you require support during this process:
Crisis Services Canada: 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645
Hope For Wellness Helpline for Indigenous Peoples: 1-855-242-3310
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