Georgian Bay District Secondary School students marked the first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation today.
Pupils participated in a reflection walk that took them to the school’s running track where they could read signs adorned with troubling statistics about residential schools, quotes and artwork to help them better understand the reason for the day’s creation earlier this year by the federal government.
“This is a really important event, especially to happen at a school,” explained Aimee Grenier-Buchwald, who serves as the school’s Indigenous graduation coach.
She said that’s because of the disturbing role residential schools once played in lives of Canada’s Indigenous population.
“It was a horrific experience with some not surviving and coming home at all,” said Grenier-Buchwald, a Métis and Anishinaabe, who smudged in front of the school as students arrived back from their walk.
“To be able to smudge at the school is a really big deal because at residential school anything cultural was outlawed.”
Nearby, hundreds of hearts created by students lined the front of the school with sayings, drawings and remembrances of the past.
“Some pretty bad stuff went down,” said Grade 9 student Elijah Lahaie, who was involved with the art project. “We’ve just got to reconcile. As a Métis person myself, it feels good to take part and show some respect.”
Scout Saltsman, a Grade 10 student, said the day serves as an important reminder of how important it is to learn from past mistakes.
“We have to honour them for the community to heal and it’s important that we stand with them,” said Saltsman, who comes from a Jewish family. “It’s really an honour to be able to contribute.”
Added Grade 10 student Alyssa Fidler: “My great-grandmother went to a residential school so I’m learning about her experiences as well.”
Ruth Quesnelle, an Indigenous student adviser with the Simcoe County District School Board, said the heart garden that was led in conjunction with teacher Stacy Robitaille originally featured 215 hearts after the remains of 215 children were found in a mass grave at a former residential school in British Columbia.
But that initial 215 heart figure quickly grew as hundreds of more graves were discovered at other former residential schools across the country.
“That number has gone up and we’re in the thousands now,” Quesnelle said, noting the hearts represent not just the children who were lost, but also their families, and serve as a learning tool.
“We (students and staff) talked about residential schools and how they were set up and that they happened for over 100 years.”
School principal Hailey McLean said the entire student body benefits from developing a deeper understanding about residential schools, which operated into the 1990s.
“Hopefully, today will bring about some learning, some unlearning and some understanding,” said McLean, who pointed out the school also offers an Indigenous art history course and Ojibwe language programs.
Grenier-Buchwald, who noted the idea behind the walk and signage around the track was initiated by Grade 12 student Aliyah Jackson, said she hopes students will take the time today to reflect on what occurred in the past.
“The truth has been buried for far too long,” she noted.
And with the last residential school in Canada closing in 1996, she pointed out that generations of Indigenous children attended the institutions over the years while the Canadian government also placed thousands of Indigenous youth in foster care as part of the '60s Scoop.
Grade 12 student Maddie Webb, who is Grenier-Buchwald’s daughter, said for too long Indigenous people weren’t heard when it came to residential schools.
“For years and years, the government would sweep everything under the carpet,” she said. “Survivors told us they were being ignored. This (day) validates them and spreads awareness.”
