While the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is Sept. 30, officials with Greater Sudbury, neighbouring First Nation communities and elders came together Thursday at Tom Davis Square for an inaugural flag-raising ceremony.
“We are still going through the impact of what the residential schools have caused,” said Elder Karl Keeshig.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a time to remember the children who died while being forced to attend residential schools, those who survived and made it home and the families still affected by the lasting trauma.
Keeshig said the day is a start, but it's up to everyone to understand the calls to action.
"It's a work in progress. Yes, there are 94 calls to action. But again, it doesn't happen all at once. And there are some we're going to struggle, you know, to, to achieve those. But let's put our heart in the right place and let's get to work on it, together," Keeshig said.
"We can only benefit our relationships with Indigenous people. And non-Indigenous people can only benefit if we achieve that.”
The flag-raising ceremony was a first for the city and a big crowd came out to participate. Mayor Paul Lefebvre said the hope is to have this be an annual day of recognition.
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"This is about reconciliation," Lefebvre said.
"This is a day of, you know, that we recognize truth and reconciliation in our community, but every day is a day that we need to certainly do our actions and think about that in our homes and our schools and our everyday work life."
Commemorate and reflect
Indigenous people want the community to commemorate and reflect in their own way, either by attending a ceremony, by wearing orange or by reading up on residential school history.
"It's a reminder that we have to do better than what we did in the past," said Atikameksheng Anishnawbek Chief Craig Nootchtai.
"For me personally, it reminds me of my mother and all my other relatives who were in these institutions and, you know, there's a lasting legacy that's left behind, right? And it doesn't have to be a negative one. It can be a positive one now moving forward."
Several other events will take place throughout the city next week, including on Sept. 30, at locations such as Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre, N’swakamok Native Friendship Centre and Laurentian University.
