Saskatoon remembers the residential school children

In an emotional and momentous display of repentance and forgiveness, church and First Nations leaders gathered in Saskatoon to remember the atrocities committed in some residential schools and to discuss ways to move forward in solidarity.
The Saskatoon stop of "Remembering the Children" - a multi-city tour intended to promote the work of Canada's upcoming Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) - happened on Sunday, March 9.
The event brought together at the Western Development Museum hundreds of members of the public, including church representatives and residential school survivors.
The tour also made similar stops during March in Ottawa, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
"As key participants, along with the federal government, in the operation of Indian Residential Schools, the Anglican, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and United Churches have committed themselves to full participation in the TRC process," the Web site for the tour (www.rememberingthechildren.ca) explains.
The afternoon in Saskatoon began with introductions and a song, and words of welcome and prayer.
Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief Lawrence Joseph took to the podium to reflect on the experience of residential schools.
The schools were run for decades across the country, largely by churches, under the supervision of the federal government.
In many of the schools, children suffered as a result of being removed from their families and cultures and forced to abandon their own languages. Many children were physically and sexually abused.
Each of the leaders from the four Christian denominations represented discussed his church's involvement in residential schools across the country and particularly in Saskatchewan. Hans Kouwenberg of the Presbyterian Church described treatment of students in some residential schools as being "beyond any Christian maxim of care and discipline" and such that left "lives deeply scarred."
Then, in a segment of the afternoon referred to in the program as "The Healing Walk", the same church leaders apologized for the roles of their churches and went on to give examples of "healing work" currently happening with First Nations people.
The leaders also called for greater education of the general public.
"One of the biggest blocks of healings is because there's no acknowledgement of the wrong that's been done," Joseph said after the event, noting that he'd like First Nations people to find hope in it.
"We heard every one of the speakers say we did something wrong and we apologize. It's been acknowledged. And they can also create alliances with us so we can compel the Government of Canada to formerly apologize in front of the rest of Canada to Aboriginal people for the atrocities that occurred," said Joseph
On behalf of all the churches, Kouwenberg committed to full co-operation with the TRC. He described the event as a "historic and sacred moment for our nation" and encouraged all to "experience the grace of telling the truth."
The church leaders also committed to moving forward with and supporting First Nations. They demanded that the federal government issue an official apology for its role in residential schools, and called for expediency in the process of appointing commissioners to the TRC.
National Indigenous Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald spoke the final words and intoned the final prayer of the event. Afterward, he reflected on its significance.
"We appear to be in the beginnings of a spiritual movement, a movement of truth, a movement of justice and a movement of accountability that is more than just a program or a media presentation," he said. "It's a people kind of thing that's more than just a sum of the parts. I really believe that what we're seeing is something that has real power to transform people's lives and ultimately societal structures."
In an official informational brochure on the TRC, it is explained that a TRC is an "official body that investigates a pattern of abuses over a period of time in order to create an accurate and public historical record of the past."
Its legal roots can be traced back more than a decade, culminating in 2006 when the government announced the approval of the negotiated Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The TRC is a component of that settlement agreement, and is scheduled for launch in "early 2008." The TRC will function for a total of five years and will be comprised of three commissioners, all "persons of recognized integrity, stature, and respect" and at least one of whom is Aboriginal. These individuals have yet to be appointed.
In an "inclusive and transparent" manner, the TRC will provide an opportunity for former students to give statements on their experiences. Seven national events will be hosted in regions across the country. Neither locations nor formats have been announced.
In addition, smaller community events are supposed to occur to facilitate healing, and historical documents will also be made available to the TRC. The TRC will provide a final report on its findings and a "National Research Centre will be established," the brochure explains.
MacDonald said those without a direct connection need to realize that the legacy of residential schools is "a reality that was created by systems and ideas that still have some life and currency in Canada today."
"The critical thing is to realize that we are all involved in a system that is still creating a lot of mayhem for people, and the (TRC) is going to unleash some truth and spirit that will challenge some systems that are still very much with us today," he said. "And so I would hope that people understand that this isn't about just trying to soothe a few aggrieved citizens. It's really about the need for us to transform our society, not only to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again in this nation, but also to make this nation a better place for our children," MacDonald continued.
"The responsibility of everybody here is to actually pass on the words to the people that they represent," Joseph added. "Also, the clergy within these denominations need to tell their congregations every Sunday not to forget about the atrocities that occurred in residential schools. We ask everybody to pass the word along, not for the sake of pity, but for understanding and acknowledgement. And also not for the sake of tolerating us, but accepting us as a very damaged race, so through that process we can heal together.
"It's up to each and every one of us to understand where it came from and then latch onto partnerships, not only individually, but also with corporate Canada, to get out of that dependency on government. That's what I hope will happen," Joseph said.