Canadians and Indigenous communities across the country are pausing to reflect and mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the new statutory holiday meant to honour survivors and victims of the forced assimilation at residential schools.
While some Canadians are learning about the atrocities done to Indigenous Peoples for the first time at residential schools and Indian day schools, Chief Brent Bissaillon of the Serpent River First Nation said it is imperative to remember that First Nation, Metis and Inuit people have known about the truth since the beginning – and that it is going to take more than one day a year to address the legacy left behind by the residential school system.
Speaking to CTV News, Bissaillon, one of the youngest First Nations chiefs in Canada, shares his message to all Canadians on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Here is the full text of Bissaillon’s interview with CTV News.
Note: This transcript has been edited for length and grammar.
CTV News: “Let me ask you how you’re observing this day?”
Bissaillon: “I’m actually going to spend the afternoon with one of the local schools. We’re going to be doing a talk and then we’re also giving a blanket exercise. I’m going to spend it with the children today.”
CTV News: “How do you think people who are perhaps not Indigenous should be recognizing the importance of this day?”
Bissaillon: “I think it's a mixed bag. I would hope a lot of people take time to reflect on today, I hope they read Indigenous content and focus on what they can do in their own lives to reconcile and have reconciliation. And really, if you live in Ontario or one of the provinces that is not recognizing today as a holiday, that you use your voice to try and get the governments to realize the importance of today.”
CTV News: “Do you think establishing some sort of a national holiday like this for truth and reconciliation signals a shift in the way that we talk about Indigenous issues in Canada?”
Bissaillon: “I would hope so. I think today it's just a day. It's a symbolic acknowledgement. And I think it's going to take more than just this one year. It's going to take a few of these days to set out what this country wants to do in terms of reconciliation. Just yesterday, we saw the Human Rights Tribunal award the appeal process to the children in care. So moving forward, I hope the federal government doesn't appeal that decision and actually reconciles with children in care.”
CTV News: “You were part of the CTV News special coverage on election night and with the Trudeau government winning re-election by minority, what are you hoping to see from them in the months and years ahead?”
Bissaillon: “To make meaningful and substantive changes, that's what we have to do. We can't have symbolic changes. I think out of the 94 calls to action, the government has only done nine, you know, what about the other 94 calls to action? We need movement on the calls to justice for the missing and murdered Indigenous women. We need the implementation of the Spirit Plan. And right now we're just talking about the residential schools - but we haven't talked about the ‘60s scoop. We haven't talked about the Millennium Group. We haven't talked about the Indian day schools, the Indian hospitals. There are so many other events in this country that we have to reckon with. I'm looking for movement on all of that.”
CTV News: "Is today also an opportunity to celebrate Indigenous culture in our country? How do you do that at the same time as we talk about residential schools and the ‘60s scoop? Is there a place to also celebrate?"
Bissaillon: "Yeah, I think there's a way to appreciate and celebrate Indigenous people still being here despite the policies and what has gone on. That's what I'm hoping my community really celebrates and takes stock. But I also know that there's a lot of mourning and there's a lot of mixed feelings about today, especially with an Indigenous community. So I hope my relatives take time. They rest. And we find that little joy and laughter in our everyday lives, because Canadians are just coming to terms with this. But Indigenous people have been living with this their whole lives. We've known about the schools. We've known about all these issues. And so for us - I think about my grandparents, Elsie and Romeo and what they went through. So it is a little bit of mixed feelings, but I do hope that we can celebrate culture, we can celebrate who we are, and then there's some understanding from Canadians that you just don't celebrate us when good things or bad things are happening. But celebrate us when the land defenders are defending our water. Celebrate us when we're making a stand for our rights. Celebrate us in all aspects, not just how we look, how our clothes are, how beautiful our bead work is. There's more to celebrate than just than that. And we really need Canadians to stand beside us when we defend our land, when we defend our water, when we are holding the government to account. We need allies to do that. That's my call out to Canadians today: be those allies and stand next to us as we defend our inherent rights, as we ask for the basic human rights of clean water housing. That's not reconciliation, I said that on election night. Reconciliation isn't clean water and housing. Those are just basic human rights. Those are treaty rights. That's what I'm looking for.”
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If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
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