The National Residential Schools Resolution Crisis Line, available 24 hours a day, securely and confidentially, at 1-866-925-4419, provides crisis counseling services to Survivors and their families. families and explains how to obtain other health supports from the Government of Canada. First Nations, Inuit and Métis people looking for immediate emotional support can also contact the Hope for Wellness Crisis Line toll-free at 1-855-242-3310, or by chat at www.sphèrepourlemieuxetre.ca.
The Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today issued the following statement on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:
“On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, we recognize the profound and painful consequences of the residential school system on First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in our country. We remember the children who never returned home. We pay tribute to Survivors, who have suffered unspeakable abuse. We listen to their experiences and stories, and we recommit ourselves to the common path of reconciliation.
“Between 1867 and 1996, the federal residential school system forcibly removed more than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children from their families and communities, and deprived them of their culture, language and identity . Many have suffered years of trauma and suffering at the hands of those responsible for these institutions. Reconciliation is not just about looking back and understanding the mistakes of the past: it is also about understanding that they still shape us today.
“The Government of Canada is committed to supporting Indigenous communities on the path to healing, and its priority is to support them at every stage of their journey. Indeed, we will continue our collaboration with them to help them identify children who have not returned from residential schools, identify and commemorate anonymous burial sites and pay tribute to the missing. This approach is part of our desire to respond to the calls for action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Earlier this year, we also announced funding to combat residential school denialism and perpetuate the memory of what happened under this deplorable system, so that history never repeats itself.
“Today and every day, I invite Canadians to reflect on the irreversible legacy of residential schools, to participate in activities organized by Indigenous people in their communities as part of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, to learn more about the stories of Survivors and to wear an orange garment in tribute to each child who suffered or lost their life. Let’s think about how each of us can help build a better country – and a better world – through truth and reconciliation. »
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