A team of MOSAIC staff joined tens of thousands of people on Sunday, Sept. 24, for the Walk For Reconciliation held in memory and support of indigenous populations who attended residential schools or were affected by them. It is part of a movement to increase national awareness of the present-day realities of residential school legacy through meaningful conversations among all people.
The atmosphere was a mix of hope for the future and respect of the past as people came together on the warm, sunny fall day to walk the two-kilometre route from Queen Elizabeth Plaza downtown to Strathcona Park. The event is also held in support of a vision that calls on everyone of all ages, backgrounds, cultures and faiths to come together as communities and individuals which is closely aligned with MOSAIC values and commitment to engage in community building and inclusion.
For more information, including photos and videos please see: CBC Article: Thousands march in Vancouver’s Walk for Reconciliation.
Residential schools are a known fact by many Canadians, and through the work of many initiatives and especially the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), the reality of those tragedies is coming more and more into focus. Now is the time to move from this darkness into light, where all Canadians find a way to leave the past behind us and create forgiveness and cultural respect for our future. To learn more, please visit: reconciliationcanada.ca.
Quick Facts on Residential Schools
- Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their homes by RCMP.
- 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families.
- 90 to 100% suffered severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
- There was a 40 – 60% mortality rate in Indian residential schools.
- Residential schools date back to the 1870s.
- Over 130 residential schools were located across Canada, and the last school closed as recently as 1996.
- Two-thirds of Canadians believe (and four in ten strongly believe) that Canadians with no experience in Indian residential schools have a role to play in reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and all Canadians.
