On September 30th, MRSS will be recognizing the first annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. In 2008, the Canadian Government acknowledged the harm done to Indigenous people and offered an apology to the survivors of the residential school system imposed on them beginning in 1831. Seven years after the apology, the Canadian Government commissioned an investigation into the residential schools and the intergenerational effects that resulted from the abuses and indignities suffered by the students and their families. After interviewing thousands of residential school survivors and reviewing their findings, the Indigenous communities came together and created 94 Calls to Action. These Calls to Action include suggestions for several improvements to our modern day education system.
Today, we will be creating a permanent mural, here at MRSS. We will be painting black feathers as a visual representation and reminder of the children lost to the Indian Residential School System and orange handprints to represent our commitment to learning and unlearning in order to create better relationships with the Indigenous people of Canada.