We acknowledge that we are in mi’kma’ki the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. I’d like to start this morning off with a short briefing on Truth and Reconciliation Day.

We are wearing orange today to honour Truth and Reconciliation day tomorrow.

Residential schools were established throughout Canada to assimilate the child into the non-indigenous culture mainly, Euro-Canadian culture. The first church-run residential school was opened in 1831.   Between the years 1884 and 1996, over 150,000 indigenous students throughout Canada were snatched from their homes and forced to attend residential schools, with over 12,000+ children dying.

Under the direction of the federal government, the schools were operated and managed by religious groups.  Most students lived there for several years starting as young as four years old, up to the age of sixteen.

Majority of the students suffered physical, mental, spiritual and sexual abuse which would affect them in a negative way for the rest of their lives. Canada’s own food guide was created based on research of the dietary structure of malnutritioned children within residential schools.

It wasn’t until June 2008, before the Prime Minister of Canada finally made an public apology to the residential school survivors and their families.  Since then, a Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) committee was established to meet and interview survivors and their families to record their experiences. They published a 94 call to action strategy for all levels of government to come together to begin repairing the harm that was done to the Indigenous people by the residential schools.  To date only 13 of those 94 calls to action have been completed.

Please allow a moment of silence for the thousands of children’s lives lost to residential schools.

The Stranger - Gord Downie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za2VzjkwtFc

“The Stranger” is the first full chapter and song of The Secret Path. Adapted from Gord Downie’s album and Jeff Lemire’s graphic novel, The Secret Path chronicles the heartbreaking story of Chanie Wenjack’s residential school experience and subsequent death as he escapes and attempts to walk 600 km home to his family.