The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is grounded in falsehoods

The following opinion piece written by yours truly was published by one of Canada’s fastest growing internet news and opinion sites on September 29, 2022.

The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) was created by the federal Liberal Party government to remember the alleged horrors committed against the indigenous children who attended Canada’s Indian Residential Schools.

According to the government of Canada:

September 30, 2021, mark[ed] the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day that coincides with Orange Shirt Day. It recognizes the tragic legacy of residential schools, the missing children, the families left behind and the survivors of these institutions.

On September 30, 2021, The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:

“Today, I invite everyone across the country to recognize and observe the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is a day to reflect on the painful and lasting impacts of residential schools in Canada, and to honour survivors, their families, and their communities. It is also a day to remember the many children who never returned home, and an opportunity for us all to learn more, and to affirm the need for reconciliation and commit ourselves to the work ahead.

“The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation recognizes that at least 150,000 Indigenous children from across the country were forcibly separated from their families and their communities. Children were brought to residential schools where too many experienced abuse and were removed from their cultures, languages, and traditions. … The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established through legislation passed earlier this spring, and is a direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action number 80. …

“This year, the tragic locating of unmarked graves at former residential school sites across the country has reminded us of not only the impacts of colonialism and the harsh realities of our collective past, but also the work that is paramount to advancing reconciliation in Canada. Today, we also recognize the harms, injustices, and intergenerational trauma that Indigenous peoples have faced – and continue to face – because of the residential school system, systemic racism, and the discrimination that persists in our society. We must all learn about the history and legacy of residential schools. It’s only by facing these hard truths, and righting these wrongs, that we can move forward together toward a more positive, fair, and better future….

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I encourage all Canadians to take this opportunity to learn more about the history of residential schools in Canada, listen to the stories of survivors and their families, and reflect on how each of us can play a part in the journey of reconciliation. I also encourage everyone to wear an orange shirt today to help spread awareness, because every child matters.”

Readers who have followed or otherwise been interested in the way the Indian Residential Schools have been vilified in recent years will be rewarded with a very different take on the NDTR, one based on verifiable truth that counters the distortions, exaggerations, and outright falsehoods in a Prime Ministerial statement that could have been written by some radical indigenous activist totally unfamiliar with the actual history and legacy of these boarding schools.

If you want to read my take on this, simply continue below. But if you are not a paid subscriber, you are out of luck unless you decide to take out a paid subscription for a mere $5.00 per month, cancellable at any time.