On the second annual National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Canadians were challenged to commit to reconciliation throughout the year.
Murray Sinclair, the former chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said the day was originally intended to be a day for Canadians to reflect on the country’s history and treatment of Indigenous people and pledge to do better during the rest of the year.
“This important task of reconciliation is not a matter of one day. As we say, it will take us several generations,” he said at a national ceremony held in Ottawa on Friday afternoon.
LOOK | Reconciliation “is not a matter of a day”, says Murray Sinclair:
Reconciliation “is not a matter of a day”, says Murray Sinclair
Murray Sinclair, the former president of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, says Canada needs to focus on reconciliation beyond the National Truth and Reconciliation Day.
“On September 30 and beyond, we must decide to stay [survivors and their families]to have their backs, don’t let them do this work alone,” Sinclair said. “We need your help, we need your understanding, and we need you to make sure this is forever part of Canada’s national memory.” .
Last year, Sept. 30 became a federal statutory holiday to remember children who died while forced to attend church-run, government-funded residential schools, those who survived the system, and they returned him home, and the families and communities that are still affected by lasting trauma.
Sinclair said pausing for reflection “is not a radical concept,” noting Canada does it every year for Remembrance Day and did it to honor the death of Queen Elizabeth earlier this month .
“On September 30, I simply ask that you extend the same courtesy that you are used to doing for others,” he said.
LOOK | A residential school survivor says reconciliation can’t happen without telling the truth:
A survivor of the residential center says reconciliation cannot happen without telling the truth
Laurie McDonald, a survivor of a Métis residential school, comments on the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
Friday afternoon’s ceremony included musical performances and testimonies from residential center survivors.
The crowd rose as a 50-metre-long commemorative cloth bearing 4,100 names of children who did not return from residential schools was unveiled on stage.
Métis survivor Laurie McDonald spoke about her residential school experience as a two-spirited person.
“The church told us to sweep it under the rug, in their hypocritical mind that it was a sin,” McDonald said.
“I had to go underground with this gift, but I’m here,” McDonald said. “I’m indigenous, but I’m also a two-spirit person and that’s a gift, and I’ll continue because that’s part of my healing.”
LOOK | A residential school survivor shares a poem about her experience:
A powerful poem captures the experience of a residential school survivor
Dennis Saddleman reads his poem, “Monster,” about his eleven years at a residential school in Kamloops, BC, on the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
“Every day is September 30”
In Ottawa, the day began with an eagle feather ceremony on Parliament Hill in front of the Peace Tower, which included a traditional round dance that saw dozens of crowd members participate.
Anishinaabe (Algonquin) Elder Claudette Commanda spoke about how the day is a time for Canadians to listen and reflect on their history.
“It’s a day for Canadians to listen, to learn, to understand, to have in your heart and in your spirit to feel the beauty of Indigenous people, the strength and resilience of survivors, but to learn history,” he said.
“Reflect on the truth, learn from the past, walk together in peace, understanding and healing. Walk together this path called reconciliation,” he said. “Every day is September 30.”
LOOK | Indigenous educator on why this day is important:
Indigenous educator on why this day is important
Tony Stevenson, an Indigenous educator and member of the Anishinaabe First Nation, explains why the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is important.
The ceremony was followed by a walk to nearby LeBreton Flats Park, where attendees placed children’s shoes on the ground to commemorate those who died in residential schools.
One year after spending the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation holiday in Tofino, BC, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended a sunrise ceremony in Niagara Falls, Ontario this morning.
After the ceremony, Trudeau spoke to residential school survivors and later challenged Canadians to be more accepting of survivors’ stories during an address to the crowd.
“How many times do indigenous peoples need to tell their stories of trauma, of loss, of pain, of pain, until we absorb those stories as non-indigenous people and make them our own?” he said
“They are also the story of Canada, and therefore they are also the story of each of us.”
LOOK | The next steps are “the most important,” says Anishinaabe journalist and teacher:
The next steps are “the most important,” says Anishinaabe journalist and teacher
Indigenous and non-Indigenous people must build a country “as partners,” says Niigaan Sinclair, a journalist, teacher and member of the Anishinaabe First Nation.
‘We’re still here’
Speaking before Trudeau, Haudenosaunee grandmother Marie Jones noted that the day should also be a reminder that the residential school effort — the forced assimilation of indigenous children — failed.
“As indigenous people we are still here,” he said, drawing applause from the crowd.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre attended a sunrise ceremony in Ottawa this morning.
“Today, we listen to the survivors, remember those – the children – we lost and pledge to continue walking the path of healing and reconciliation with Indigenous people,” he tweeted after the ceremony.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who attended the ceremony on Parliament Hill, said he wanted to show his support for indigenous communities.
“‘[I’m] here to remember the children, to be supportive, to remember the damage [caused by residential schools] and make it clear that we are here to fight for justice,” he said.
A crowd attends the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on September 30, 2022. (Stephen Hoff/CBC)
Ceremonies were held across the country to reflect on the country’s history and treatment of indigenous people. All Canadian federal government buildings, including the Peace Tower in Ottawa, will fly their flags at half-mast from sunrise to sunset.
September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, which honors the story of Phyllis Webstad, a former residential student who was stripped of her orange shirt on her first day at a residential school. The National Center for Truth and Reconciliation is encouraging Canadians to do just that wear orange as an act of solidarity.
A sunrise ceremony kicked off the second full day of activities at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto on Friday, celebrating Indigenous cultures, traditions and languages through workshops, presentations, storytelling, teachings, dance, film and music.
Dozens of indigenous and non-indigenous people gathered at dawn around a sacred fire in front of the town hall for the ceremony. There was a sage-staining ceremony and dry tobacco was passed to those gathered to put on the fire as an offering.
Hailey Murphy, granddaughter of residential school survivor and founder of the Orange Shirt Day movement Phyllis Webstad, plays during a ceremony to mark the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Niagara Falls, Ontario. on Friday, September 30, 2022. (Nick Iwanyshyn/The Canadian Press)
Around Hamilton, Indigenous non-profit groups, beaders, residential school survivors, elders from nearby Six Nations and other community members gathered Friday morning for an event hosted by the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre.
Tiffany Silversmith, a young woman from the area, opened the day by singing a song in the Cayuga language and calling for more actions for reconciliation.
“[We need] spread awareness of reconciliation and turn it into action of reconciliation and make meaningful changes that will benefit all life and all people on Turtle Island,” he said.
In downtown Halifax, hundreds gathered to mark the day and hear from Acadia First Nation Chief Deborah Robinson, Mi’kmaw Elder Alan Knockwood and Halifax Indigenous Councilor Cheryl Copage-Gehue.
Knockwood told the crowd at the city’s Grand Parade that as the community comes together to reflect on Canada’s legacy of colonialism, the children lost in the residential school system are “here in our hearts and with us here”.
LOOK | Progress on TRC calls to action is moving slower than expected:
Progress on TRC calls to action is progressing more slowly than expected
Progress on the 94 calls to action outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report, published in 2015, is moving more slowly than many expected. Today, only about 10% of those calls have been fully answered.
Support is available for anyone affected by their experience in residential care or recent reports.
A National Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line has been set up to support survivors and those affected. People can access crisis and emotional referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.
Mental health counseling and crisis assistance are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by chat at online at www.hopeforwellness.ca.