OTTAWA – Canada on Thursday held its the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honor the lost children and survivors of indigenous schools, following the gruesome discovery of more than 1,000 unmarked graves at two former schools earlier this year. The so-called residential school system, which operated between 1831 and 1996, removed about 150,000 indigenous children from their families. “Do it to honor those indigenous children who experienced or witnessed cruel injustices. “On this first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we reflect on the lasting impacts of residential schools,” Trudeau said on Thursday, a day after marking the holiday at an event held on the lawn in front of parliament. “Take this new National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to set aside the impact of the untruthful version of history that has long been presented and to learn from Indigenous voices,” said former Senator Murray Sinclair, who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 30, 2021 17:26 UTC