Summary： Canada holds the first ＂National Truth and Reconciliation Day＂
Xinhua News Agency, Ottawa, September 30th Summary: Canada held its first National Truth and Reconciliation Day.
Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Baodong
September 30th, 2021 is the first National Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada. Many activities were held in Canada to commemorate the children who were abused and died in Canadian Aboriginal boarding schools, and to reflect on issues such as colonialism, racial discrimination and aboriginal cultural extinction.
今年5月下旬，加拿大原住民在不列颠哥伦比亚省“坎卢普斯印第安寄宿学校”旧址发现了215具无名儿童遗骸，震惊加拿大和国际社会。为此，加拿大议会在6月通过加政府提出的设立“全国真相及和解日”的法案。
9月30日，加拿大原住民参加在温哥华举办的“全国真相与和解日”活动。新华社发（梁森摄）
9月30日上午，来自加拿大各地的数百名原住民在渥太华议会前广场上举行活动，纪念在寄宿学校“消失的孩子”。广场上摆满了数百双童鞋。
加拿大原住民克劳德特·康姆达说，215个孩子的“声音”唤醒了加拿大和世界。原住民麦克唐纳·赫内表示，加拿大的非原住民想要了解真相、纠正错误，就必须了解“加拿大历史和其腐败基础”。寄宿学校幸存者杰拉尔丁·辛古斯说，倾听幸存者的经历很重要，“请加拿大听到我们”。
9月30日，加拿大原住民参加在温哥华举办的“全国真相与和解日”活动。新华社发（梁森摄）
在广场举行的纪念活动中，不少原住民表示，加拿大共有10个省3个区，只有3个小省将9月30日定为法定假日，这种做法“淡化了真相与和解日的严肃性”，令人失望。
Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement on the same day, saying that on the first Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada, "I, together with all Canadians, reflected on the painful history of aborigines in boarding schools, and worked hard to heal the wounds and build an inclusive society".
As the first governor with aboriginal ancestry in Canadian history, Mary Simon issued a statement saying that Truth and Reconciliation Day was a "painful day" for her, Canada’s colonial heritage was "unacceptable" and the country must strive to achieve reconciliation.
On September 30th, a giant aboriginal puppet was placed in the crowd at the National Truth and Reconciliation Day in Vancouver, Canada. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Liang Sen)
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau also issued a statement calling on Canadians to reflect on the history of aborigines and the legacy of boarding schools. "We recognize that aborigines have faced and continue to face many injuries, injustices and intergenerational trauma due to the boarding school system, systematic racism and persistent discrimination in our society." He reminded Canadians to make greater efforts to promote reconciliation.
On the same day, Ottawa Citizen published an article entitled "We are treated as second-class citizens on our own land". The article said that today Canada acknowledged the great harm caused to the aborigines. When the first Europeans arrived in Canada, the aborigines had a prosperous culture, but now they are treated as inferior people in their own land.
On September 30th, at the National Truth and Reconciliation Day held in Vancouver, Canada, a large number of toys and children’s shoes were placed outside the Vancouver Art Museum. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Liang Sen)
After the foundation of the Commonwealth of Canada, the boarding school system for aboriginal children was gradually established, and aboriginal children were forcibly separated from their families and communities. In order to "assimilate" aboriginal children, boarding schools severely punish aboriginal children who speak their mother tongue or worship any aboriginal beliefs, and do not allow them to wear national costumes. These children can only use imposed English and French names or numbers. Indigenous students are often unable to integrate into society and return to tribal culture after graduation. The boarding school system has had a devastating and lasting negative impact on the inheritance of aboriginal language, culture and spiritual heritage.
According to a report released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada in 2015, from the 1840s to the 1990s, at least 150,000 indigenous children, including Indians, Inuit and Meti, were forced to send them to boarding schools. Boarding schools cruelly abused aboriginal children, and at least 3,200 children were abused to death. Canadian academic circles believe that there has been a "cultural extinction" in Canadian history, and Canadians should be ashamed of it, reflect on it and try to improve the people’s livelihood.
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