Rideau Hall opens its doors for Indigenous culture ahead of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

As part of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day events, Rideau Hall is giving people a unique look inside. CTV’s Camille Wilson reports.

Leading up to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Rideau Hall hosted a Doors Open event where the public had a chance to learn about Indigenous cultures, traditions and heritage.

The event encouraged visitors to reflect on the 10 years that have passed since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report and to continue reconciliation in the next decade.

“I feel that it’s important for me to learn more about our Indigenous history, Indigenous culture. It’s part of my truth and reconciliation efforts. There’s so much I don’t know about Indigenous languages, culture,” says Jan Sojczynski, who attended the event.

• RELATED: Events in Ottawa to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Visitors viewed Indigenous artwork throughout the residence, participated in art activities and learned about healing through art, all of which was focused on reconciliation.

“Doing things like this just really shows everyone’s commitment to reconciliation and to honouring the survivors as well as those who were affected by residential schools. To show our commitment to the truth and reconciliation calls to action. Doing things like this is an act of reconciliation,” says Amelie Rapp, interpretation and exhibition planner at the visitor services team at Rideau Hall.

Visitors decorated paper hearts, which will later be planted in the Heart Garden at Rideau Hall. The hearts symbolize everyone’s commitment to reconciliation and to the 94 calls to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

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There was also a puzzle to put together along with an information book to learn about Métis medicinal plants.

Miriam Van Nie and her friend Aviva Hofmann Shaw say they came especially for the Indigenous art and said it’s special that the current Governor General is Inuit.

“To go into a space and have that around you and feel as though you are committing to something and moving forward,” says Van Nie.

“Growing up in Ottawa and in Canada, there’s a lot that we did not learn. As adults, becoming more aware and trying to unlearn and relearn and coming to terms and deciding to take next steps, it’s a big part of being an adult in general,” says Hofmann Shaw.

Mary Pierre-Wade attended with her five friends and their families and says she thought it was a really meaningful and important way to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by doing this together as a family and with friends.

“We didn’t learn about residential schools when we were kids, and we feel that it’s really important for kids to recognize the truth behind really negative impacts of colonization and what happened to Indigenous children,” says Pierre-Wade. “It’s essential that we all take steps towards reconciliation and this education needs to start at a young age - right from the beginning of the learning cycle and life cycle.”

• RELATED: What’s open and closed in Ottawa on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada takes place Tuesday. Also known as Orange Shirt Day, it honours survivors of the residential school system and their families and recognizes the dark history and ongoing impacts of the residential school system in Canada.