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The Indian Residential School system operated across Canada for well over 100 years, with the last schools closing in the 1990s. Indian Residential Schools were created to separate Indigenous children from their families and communities, and to systematically strip away their traditions, cultural practices and languages.
More than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children from across the country were forced to attend Indian Residential Schools, which were often located far from their homes. Thousands never made it home.
Each year on the federally recognized National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we reflect and honour Survivors, their families and communities affected by the legacy of Indian Residential Schools.
September 30, 2021, marked the first observance of a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, following the identification of potential unmarked burial sites at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.
Survivors across Canada have long told stories of the abuse and deaths that took place at these institutions. The announcement from the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation has galvanized nationwide efforts by Indigenous communities to locate their missing children.
Commemorating this day to honour Survivors and increase understanding of the history and legacy of Residential Schools is one step in a long journey towards truth-telling and meaningful reconciliation.
SOURCE: GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO WEBSITE
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