The national Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) will wrap up with a Celebratory Walk in Edmonton Sunday.
Taz Bouchier, the Elder who organized the walk, said it was something she felt was need for the healing process as many residential schools survivors revisit their pain.
“It re-traumatizes in certain ways, opens up the old wounds. So it is really important that there be something in place to celebrate the fact, and look at the fact, that you are still alive, you are thriving.
“The journey of healing, the journey of wellness continues but also the journey of truth continues,” she said, explaining that residential schools were just part of the struggle for the Aboriginal culture.
“The residential schools are just but a small snippet of the attempt to change us into other people.”
Chair of the TRC, Justice Murray Sinclair told CTV that they were now focusing on what to do about the information collected.
“Aboriginal communities continue to be at the bottom of the social scales in this country,” he said, explaining the statistics for suicide, child welfare and jails were quite high.
“There are systems in place in society that would prevent those statistics from being so high, and why are those systems not catching those individuals?”
Justice Sinclair said that change needed to happen for all Canadians.
“Canadians were educated in the public schools of this country to believe that Aboriginal people were inferior and we need to change that education system to correct that story.
“Aboriginal people, as victims of this historically oppressive society need to know that their victimization has stopped and we are not there yet.”
However, many survivors said they have started on the path to healing.
“You can see that around the people are relaxing and they are starting to forgive,” Virgina Heiner smiled.
Bouchier said they were expecting 5,000 or more participants in the walk, which will start at the Shaw Conference centre at 6 p.m.
The City has advised drivers of road closures in the downtown area.
Due to Walk of Reconciliation, Jasper Ave (95–108 St) & 107 St (96 Ave-Jasper Ave) will be closed today from 4 – 11 pm. Expect delays #yeg
— City of Edmonton (@CityofEdmonton) March 30, 2014
The walk will wrap up at the Alberta Legislature with speeches, including one from Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson.
“He has been a tremendous support this past weekend,” Bouchier said.
“We celebrate that this city is recognizing that there needs to be intentional acts of reconciliation.”
The TRC have held public hearings over the last four years, visiting over 300 communities.
Over 6,500 statements from residential schools survivors have been collected.
The commission has been given until June 2015 to complete its report.
The last residential school closed in 1996. It was located outside of Regina.
With files from Sarah Richter, The Canadian Press
