‘The real truth’: First Nations University hosts reconciliation forum in Regina

The First Nations University of Canada can be seen here. (Damian Smith/CTV News)

The First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) hosted the 9th annual Nation Building Reconciliation Forum this week in Regina.

“This is an opportunity for us to take into account how much progress we’ve made towards reconciliation,” said First Nations University President Jackie Ottmann.

Co-organized by the FNUniv and the University of Regina, the two institutions say they have a unified approach when it comes to the future of Indigenous education.

“For example, the First Nations University of Canada may currently have about 800 students,” said Jeff Keshen, the President of the University of Regina. “We provide programming to supplement the programs at First Nations University, so those students can pursue any degree they want while remaining at the [FNUniv].”

According to the latest statistics, the University of Regina’s enrollment contains 13 per cent of Indigenous students – while the FNUniv has a 90 per cent.

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It’s an important year for the board, with it being the 10-year anniversary of the truth and reconciliation commission’s 94 calls of action to address the legacy of residentials schools in Canada.

“If the survivors didn’t come together to hold Canada to account, we wouldn’t have a commission. We wouldn’t have the 94 calls to action,” Ottmann added.

Among leaders, the forum saw many residential school survivors in attendance.

“We were told in those schools that when we were little, to not hug or touch,” said Judy Pelly, a third-generation survivor of the St. Philip’s Residential School – where she attended from 1957 to 1964.

“When my sister hugged me one time, she ran over and hugged. We were punished for that,” she recalled.

Despite the dark history that Pelly experienced herself, she says she’s pleased with the efforts in the path towards reconciliation. She explained that recently when a group of women approached her, and one of the women spoke about her 4th grade brother reciting the history of residential schools.

“I don’t ever want us to lose momentum,” she said. “I don’t ever want to lose movement like this, it just keeps us in. People are learning about the truth, the real truth by the people that are being affected by it.”

The second day of the reconciliation forum will continue Thursday with conversation circles, panels, conferences, as well as performances.