Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Truth and Reconciliation on Turtle Island
August 8, 2014
Thousands gathered at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta for the Alberta National Event of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) from March 27 to 30, 2014. The TRC was organized by the parties to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and is part of an overall holistic and comprehensive response to the Indian residential school legacy. It was officially established on June 2, 2008 and is tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by governments, or, in some cases, non-government organizations with sufficient power to influence and cause a change even though they do not belong to any established government institution.
Over the past four years, the commission has held events in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Halifax, Saskatoon, Inuvik and Montreal. These events include traditional ceremonies, statement gatherings, sharing circles, performances, art displays and various film screenings.
It's estimated that around 80,000 former residential school students are still alive and during the past four years, thousands have given statements both publicly and privately to the commission.
The commission's goal of completing an accurate historical record of residential schools has been hampered by ongoing litigation with the government over the release of documents relating to abuse at the schools.
Denise Hampden, Unifor Local 4003/Council 4000 member and long-time Union activist from Toronto attended the Edmonton TRC event. Unifor Council 4000 President Barry Kennedy thanked Sister Hampden for the following thought-provoking article and report that she has provided Unifor Council 4000 and its membership from coast-to-coast.
It's estimated that around 80,000 former residential school students are still alive and during the past four years, thousands have given statements both publicly and privately to the commission.
The commission's goal of completing an accurate historical record of residential schools has been hampered by ongoing litigation with the government over the release of documents relating to abuse at the schools.
Denise Hampden, Unifor Local 4003/Council 4000 member and long-time Union activist from Toronto attended the Edmonton TRC event. Unifor Council 4000 President Barry Kennedy thanked Sister Hampden for the following thought-provoking article and report that she has provided Unifor Council 4000 and its membership from coast-to-coast.
Truth and Reconciliation on Turtle Island
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By Denise Hampden
June 21st is National Aboriginal Day. It provides us with the chance to examine, reflect and most importantly learn about the history and accomplishments of North America's first people's. Canada's relationship with the First Nations of Turtle Island began as one of mutual respect and perceived equality. Leaders came together to negotiate treaties when settlers arrived. They worked together to establish settlements in the New World for the English and the French. The basis of these treaties was trust and First Nations’ expected that all treaties would be honoured for as long as they were in effect. We could liken treaties to the collective agreements we bargain in our workplaces every day. Most treaties negotiated have never been honoured to this day. |
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What First Nations people didn’t realize is that two of the pillars of colonization are racism and deception. When settlers realized that they could exploit the land for their own gain and ultimately capitalist objectives, Aboriginal people were no longer partners in settlement but obstacles. Much like African enslavement and all other oppression or genocide throughout history, the only way to justify the subsequent inhumane treatment of Aboriginal people in the Americas was to begin a campaign that promoted racist ideas and ideologies.
In the 1800’s one of those practices was the establishment of Residential Schools. These were institutions built and funded by the Canadian government and operated by numerous religious orders. The government believed that the best way for Aboriginal people to be assimilated was to learn English and adopt Christianity and Canadian customs. Ideally, native traditions would diminish, or be completely abolished in a few generations. It felt that residential or boarding schools was the best way for aboriginal children to become fully Canadian and that these institutions were the only way to “remove the Indian from the child.”
By the early 1900’s the practise was in full swing and the government declared it was well on its way to solving the “Indian problem” and in fact stated that they would be rid of the “Indian problem” within two generations.
Children were forcibly removed from their homes and carted off to residential schools, in most cases against the wishes of their parents. In fact parents did not have a choice in the matter. The “Indian Agent” who was responsible for matters on Reserves would issue a directive to round up children and cart them off to schools and in some cases they would never again be reunited with their parents.
Children were subjected to violence, starvation, sexual abuse, beatings and in the case of thousands of children murder. Children were punished for speaking their native languages or attempting to practice any of their indigenous traditions, fed sub-standard food, forced to work to keep the schools operating, they were separated from their siblings, many were repeatedly raped and any of the numerous babies conceived from the sexual assaults disappeared.
The legacy of residential schools for Aboriginal people in Canada is one of generations of broken adults who live with the shame, humiliation and disgrace that was instilled in them throughout their stay in the schools which were worse than some prisons.
In the 1990’s there calls were made for a public inquiry into residential schools that went largely ignored by the Canadian government. As it turns out they were still operating these schools during this time. The last Residential school in Canada was closed in 1996. On June 8th, 2008 after countless attempts and negotiations with leaders in the Aboriginal community and under the fierce leadership of Chief of the Assembly of First Nations and then NDP Leader Jack Layton an official apology was made to the survivors and families of children who attended residential schools by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the House of Commons.
A significant part of the apology was that a Truth and Reconciliation Commission be established. The commission travelled across the country for close to five years gathering statements of survivors of residential schools with the objective of promoting healing and reconciliation. The final of those hearings took place in Edmonton in March of 2014. Statements provided to the commission by survivors will be stored and archived at a newly established National Research Centre on Indian Residential Schools.
The gains that have been made in Canada towards true reconciliation have been small but they have been significant. The legacy that Aboriginal people continue to live with is haunting at best and criminal at worst.
Present day organizations, movements and individual activists such as the Assembly of First Nations, Idle No More, Chief Theresa Spence or Stolen Sisters have brought the issues of historical and modern day injustice to the forefront more so than at any time in our history. Social media, acts of civil disobedience, support of non-aboriginal Canadians and organizations have all helped to bring the oppression of Indigenous people to the forefront and ensure that the issues are being discussed and that we work towards full equality and rights of citizenship.
For the original citizens of this land we should demand no less.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission website: www.TRC.ca
