Canada marks the first National Truth and Reconciliation Day

Article content

Note: This article refers to topics and details that some readers may find distressing or disturbing. Support is available through the Aboriginal and First Nations Crisis Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-588-8717.

Article content

KAMLOOPS – Communities in Canada are prepared to commemorate the country’s first National Truth and Reconciliation Day today, honoring indigenous survivors and children who disappeared from the residential school system.

The chants and drums were scheduled to sound at 2:15 p.m. from Kamloops, where the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc nation announced in May that ground-penetrating radar had detected what are believed to be 215 unmarked graves at the site of one of the largest ancient tombs. residential schools.

Since then, numerous indigenous nations have reported finding nameless graves at former residential school sites using the same technology used in Kamloops, prompting calls for justice that have resonated around the world.

Article content

The federal government announced the new legal holiday in June to commemorate the history and ongoing impacts of church-run institutions where indigenous children were separated from their families and abused.

Terry Teegee, regional head of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, said it’s a day to reflect on that terrible story and also to think about how to address the effects of 150 years of residential school policies that aimed to “kill the Indians in the child. “

The last residential school in Canada closed in 1996.

Generations of indigenous children attended the institutions and their trauma has been transmitted, Teegee said in an interview, pointing to the early 1960s, when Canadian governments placed thousands of indigenous youth in foster homes, and the disproportionate number of indigenous youth. in care today.

Article content

There is a risk that the meaning of reconciliation will be “diluted” without substantive action and funding from the Canadian government to address the challenges of mental health, addictions, homelessness, discrimination in the health care system and other related social harms. with residential schools, he said. said.

Teegee said gestures, such as recognition of indigenous lands, lowering flags to half-staff to honor the victims of residential schools, and an apology from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, are necessary, but the gestures only go so far. point.

“That does not change tomorrow for an indigenous person who is dealing with addictions or dealing with mental health problems due to residential schools.”

Article content

Several lengthy reports, from the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in 1996 to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, have made recommendations to address the discrimination and harms indigenous peoples face, Teegee said. .

“We are one of the most studied groups that exist,” he said. “However, we continue to deal with the same old problems over and over again.”

“We are tired of being studied.”

The federal government has committed to implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action and the government of British Columbia is in the process of aligning its laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. But Teegee said he would like to see more concerted plans, timelines and funding.

Article content

Ultimately, Teegee said he views reconciliation as a shift in relations between Indigenous nations and Canadian governments to recognize Indigenous peoples’ sovereignty and self-determination over their territories and affairs.

“This is a long-term commitment between indigenous peoples and regardless of the party they are in or the colonial state, regardless of their affiliation.”

It’s about creating a space “to be First Nations, to be indigenous and to be in a place that respects our identity and respects who we are,” added Teegee.

Start your day with a summary of BC-centric news and views delivered right to your inbox at 7am, Monday through Friday, by signing up for our Sunrise newsletter here.

CLICK HERE to report a typo.

Is there more to this story? We would like to hear from you about this or any other story that you think we should know about. Send an email to [email protected].