Final national event about wisdom to move forward together

For Chief Wilton Littlechild the seventh and final national event for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be different than the others he has attended.

“It’s kind of a reunion for me as well and I look forward to putting certain parts of my life behind me. This event will help me personally,” he said.

Littlechild, one of the commissioners with the TRC, spent 14 years in residential schools, three years of which were in a boarding school in Edmonton. He expects to see survivors he hasn’t spoken to in decades when former students, their descendants and spouses, along with the non-Indigenous public, gather at the Shaw Conference Centre from March 27-30.

But there will be former students who will not be attending.  Many survivors passed away before the TRC began its community and national events.

On March 4, when the TRC held its media launch, Littlechild asked for a moment of silence for three survivors in his community of Ermineskin Cree Nation, who passed away that week. Later he said that at least two of them shared their stories at a recent community hearing in Maskwacis.

“It was a special moment for their families to come forward and share what happened to them. For many of us this is a hidden story and once it’s told in a public setting it begins to heal not only individuals but the families as well. That’s why it was important they had that opportunity,” he said.

Alberta had more residential schools operating than any other province or territory and has the second largest number of survivors at 12,000. The city of Edmonton is home to the largest number of residential school survivors.

Newly elected Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson called for a “collective effort” to get passed the legacy created by residential schools.

“We must work as a nation together to uncover the truths and to offer each other meaningful reconciliation and this reconciliation is an important step toward acknowledging our past, learning from our experiences and healing our hearts. This will take the commitment of every last one of us but when achieved it will truly make for a stronger Edmonton, stronger Alberta, stronger Canada,” said Iveson.

The theme of this last event is wisdom, one of the seven sacred teachings. Each national event was based on a sacred teaching: respect, courage, love, truth, humility, and honesty.

Littlechild holds that a recent letter of apology offered by the Catholic bishops from Alberta and the Northwest Territory “opens the door of a good entry into the (Alberta) event.”

He says that in previous national and community hearings, many survivors felt they had not received an apology from the Catholic church.

“When it’s expressed by the Catholic church through the bishops, it’s a very significant message to the survivors that yes, there’s genuine regret here about what happened and people are sorry about what happened,” said Littlechild.

Attendance by non-Indigenous peoples at the national events has increased over the five years the TRC has been in operation.  Honourary witnesses, which include former prime ministers, auditors general, governors general as well as non-politicians, are part of that non-Aboriginal involvement. In Alberta, one honourary witness is Wetaskiwin Mayor Bill Elliot.

Elliot, who is a former teacher, says he only recently learned about the depth of the impact of residential schools. He attended the TRC hearing in Maskwacis and “was transformed” when he heard parents of students he taught talk about the abuse they suffered while attending residential schools.

“As a municipal leader I feel it’s really important that I bear witness to this significant chapter in Canadian history. It’s important that I’m a role model and provide leadership to our community to assist in the understanding of effects residential school had on many generations, past and present,” said Elliot.
“We want to share in the healing journey and we want to be part of the solution as we move forward together, conscientiously working on building a long, positive relationship with you, our neighbours.”

Photo caption: Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner and Chief Wilton Littlechild speaks at the Edmonton media launch of the upcoming TRC national event as Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson and TRC Commissioner Marie Wilson listen on.