National Day of Truth and Reconciliation was marked in Sooke on Friday with a public ceremony.

The federal statutory holiday, also known as Orange Shirt Day, was established last year to remember children who died while being forced to attend residential schools, those who survived, and the families and communities still affected by lasting trauma.

CanadaB次元官网网址檚 residential school system, funded by the federal government and run by churches, was established in the 1800s. It removed roughly 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and M茅tis children from their families. The last school closed in 1997.

Many children were sexually, physically or psychologically abused in the system designed to get the B次元官网网址淚ndianB次元官网网址� out of the child.

Mayor Maja Tait joined First Nations representatives, community groups, and others dressed in orange for a ceremony at Vancouver Island Regional Library.

Tait addressed the crowd of several hundred during the ceremony.

B次元官网网址淚t is an important day of reflection, but the journey continues. It does not end today,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚 encourage all of you to be allies in the journey.B次元官网网址�

Monique Pat, a member of TB次元官网网址橲ou-ke Nation, said that the day was about residential survivors, but the past atrocities have affected every generation since then.

B次元官网网址淚t happened to all of us, and it affects all of us today,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淥range Shirt Day is so important.B次元官网网址�

Several Sooke Truth for Reconciliation members also spoke at the ceremony, including Val Kaufman, a M茅tis, who invited people to sign up for this yearB次元官网网址檚 action groups.

B次元官网网址淭hese things happened to many, many people,B次元官网网址� she said, calling for unity and urging people to work together and take action.

editor@sookenewsmirror.com
Like us on and follow us on