Understanding the truth of what happened in Indian Residential Schools and the urgent need for reconciliation is the topic of discussion at a special Storytellers Gala at Thompson Rivers University on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Grand Hall.

Featuring the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, this free, public lecture will give students, faculty, staff, and community members the opportunity to hear first hand the recently-released findings and calls to action of the commission.

After six years collecting data and the testimonials of residential school survivors, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released its findings and calls to action in June of this year. Not only did Canadians get a better picture of what happened within Indian Residential Schools, we now have a clear path to advance the process of reconciliation through an extensive list of 94 calls to action.

The Commission’s report details that during a 150-year period, more than 150,000 First Nations, Metis, and Inuit children were taken from their families and forced to attend residential schools. Many children suffered emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and others died while attending these schools.

“The cumulative impact of residential schools is a legacy of unresolved trauma passed from generation to generation and has had a profound effect on the relationship between Aboriginal peoples and other Canadians,” reads the Truth and Reconciliation website. It further says, “Collective efforts from all peoples are necessary to revitalize the relationship between Aboriginal peoples and Canadian society—reconciliation is the goal. It is a goal that will take the commitment of multiple generations but when it is achieved, when we have reconciliation, it will make for a better, stronger Canada.”

Hosted by the TRU Students’ Union and Thompson Rivers University, this event is a collaboration between TRUSU’s 7th annual Story Tellers Gala and the TRU President’s Lecture Series.

Media inquiries
Sonya Charley
TRU Students’ Union Aboriginal Representative
Email: aboriginal@trusu.ca
Phone: 250-828-5289