This week, in honour of the unnamed graves discovered across western Canada from the victims of Residential Schools, I’m going to read the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Over the past few weeks, the news has been flooded with stories of countless graves of indigenous children, forgotten victims of Canada’s Residential School system.
This has brought into clear focus the horrible indignities done to our first nations over the span of more than a century and has forced many of us to open our eyes and recognize the horrible legacy of colonization and cultural genocide.
As someone lucky enough to born into a life of privilege, I’ve always known about residential schools, but like many of us, I had no idea of the depth of abuse and sadness that was connected to these schools. This past week has hopefully opened the door for these forgotten voices to finally be heard and the process of true reconciliation to begin.
Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Click To TweetIt struck me that I haven’t even read the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and so today, I’m going to use my voice to share them with you.
If you’d like a copy of the Calls to Action to read on your own, here is a link to download it: http://trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf. If the link doesn’t open in your browser, simply right-click and select download and you’ll get a local copy of the Calls to Action.
For a copy of the Summary of the Full Report of the Commission, click here: https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.800288/publication.html. While it is called a summary, it is a detailed 388-page breakdown of the findings’ work and conclusions.
If you are indigenous and would like someone to talk to, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society has a 24-hour toll-free support line at 1-866-925-4419.
Clearly, this is a very different episode than my previous ones. As a site that celebrates culture and history, it’s critical that we look at all sides and this is a story that really needs to be heard. It’s OK to love Canada but to also hold the nation to task for past atrocities. After all, taking responsibility is what love is really about anyway.
I’ll be back on a regular basis now to post new stories. After a lengthy pandemic hiatus, it’s time to get back in the studio and offer you more stories on the natural and human history of the mountain west.
Thanks for sticking with the show during the break.