Where have all the flowers gone? (1) Well might we apply this question, from the song made popular by Peter, Paul and Mary, to the First Nations peoples in Canada in regard to the violence against children?
Recently, Chief Justice Murray Sinclair, who headed up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report (2) to the Federal Government, spoke at the London Museum, hosted by Atlohosa, a Native Family Healing Service in London.
Tara Overholt, from CTV, was the MC for the evening as Justice Sinclair heartfully presented some of the findings the TRC and their ramifications for our consideration.
His focus was on violence against children, as the com had been asked, “What happened to the children?” He highlighted the commission’s motto “For the children taken, for the parent left behind”.
For 130 years, Aboriginal children in Canada were kept under the government’s thumb. Over seven generation of Aboriginal children went through our Residential Schools, and each time there wasn’t the capacity to treat them well. Aboriginal children who went to Public School fared little better. Aboriginal children were demeaned so that not only were they themselves affected directly by being made to feel inferior, but furthermore the non-indigenous kids were also affected in believing themselves superior.
Of the 80,000 children in care, 50% are Aboriginal. Reconciliation within families, as well as, nation to nation is urgently needed.
Justice Sinclair stressed that the country has an obligation to provide all of its people with an opportunity to find the answers to the following questions:
Where do I come from? What is my creation story?
Where am I going?
Why am I here?
Who am I?
Who do I want to be?
Justice Sinclair gave some suggestions as to what individuals and groups can do, education being a key component. He commended those groups who are tackling one of the reports 94 recommendations. (3) Some positive effects can be seen on google where there are 130 YouTube videos of students reading the TRC report. (4)
In closing, Sean Couchi presented his art piece to Justice Sinclair as a sincere thank you from Atlohosa and those in attendance. The painting included here depicts 94 butterflies symbolizing the reports ninety four recommendations and pointing the way to a more hopeful future.
The evening was inspiring, hopeful and very energizing as we all want to move forward in sowing and nurturing the seeds of reconciliation.
Kathleen Lichti, CSJ
(1) http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/peter+paul+mary/where+have+all+the+flowers+gone_20107752.html
(2)http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Exec_Summary_2015_05_31_web_o.pdf
(3) http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf