For over 100 years, Aboriginal children were removed from their families and sent to institutions called residential schools. The government-funded, church-run schools were located across Canada and were established with the purpose to eliminate parental involvement in the spiritual, cultural and intellectual development of Aboriginal children. There were more residential schools in Alberta than in any other province and the last schools in Canada closed in 1996. Former residential school students took the federal government and the churches to court. Their cases led to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history. The Agreement sought to begin repairing the harm caused by residential schools and called for the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). As part of their mandate, the TRC has hosted six national events in different regions across Canada. National events engage the public and provide education about the history of the residential schools system, the experience of former students and their families and the ongoing legacies of the institutions within communities. The national events also represent opportunities to celebrate regional diversity and honour those touched by residential schools. The City of Edmonton is honoured that the TRC is holding its Alberta National Event in Edmonton from March 27th to 30th, 2014. This event is the final National Event mandated by the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The schedule of events includes: statement gathering, traditional ceremonies, survivor gatherings, education day, witnessing survivor statements, cultural performances, films, and more. It is estimated that within two to four years Edmonton will have the highest Aboriginal population in Canada. Therefore, I would encourage all ... to learn more about the history of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada to better understand their context... Please find time to attend a portion of the upcoming event. --Lyall Brennies, CoE For more information please go to: trc.ca Website Sources: Author/Title: Truth and Reconciliation, Commission of Canada. URL: trc.ca Date viewed: March 24, 2014 Author/Title: Wikipedia/List of residential schools in Canada URL: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_residential_schools_in_Canada Date Viewed: March 24th, 2014
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 17:33:24 +0000