Canadians from many cultural communities call on Feds to #HonourTheApology to Residential School Survivors – Idle No More

For Immediate Release – UPDATED TODAY, JULY 25
 
Unity across faiths and backgrounds in response to recently revealed “nutritional experiments” on Indigenous people

ACROSS CANADA (Venues below) – Today, Canadians, newcomers, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples from all walks of life and religious denominations will reflect upon the impacts of Canada’s residential schools in a national moment of silence, prayer, and commemoration. They are calling on the federal government to release all documents pertaining to the residential schools in Canada to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission IMMEDIATELY, commission a national inquiry into the biomedical experiments on First Nations communities, and to work toward the end of continued violence toward Indigenous peoples in Canada.

In response to University of Guelph historian Ian Mosby published research that First Nations communities – and specifically thousands of children in residential schools – were unknowing subjects in biomedical experiments in malnourishment and hunger by federal government officials between 1942-52, we call on the federal government to honour its 2008 apology and – as promised – shoulder the responsibility of telling the complete story of what happened in the Residential School system.

We are calling on all people of all faiths and backgrounds to attend and participate. Leaders from the Islamic, Christian, Multi-denominational, Japanese, and other cultural communities will join us. All are welcome.

We are also asking those who are in good health (and able to do so) to fast in honour of survivors of these experiments.

We also encourage all to write to their Members of Parliament about this issue. All Canadians can find their MP using this link: http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseofCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC

National FB event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1394657634086596/

 
Events:
Edmonton – Churchill Square
Calgary – Central Memorial Park
Toronto – Allan Gardens Conservatory
Peterborough – Confederation Square
Opaskwayak Cree Nation – Oscar Lathlin
Saskatoon – Vimy Memorial Bandshell
 
About the Apology:
On June 11, 2008, the Prime Minister of Canada offered an apology to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit survivors of the residential school system. Although under a court order, the federal government has been withholding millions of documents from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). These documents contain the movement/disappearance of children, sickness or diseases and the treatment students endured. Honouring the apology means releasing the documents so the TRC can fulfill its mandate and allow all Canadians to learn the truth about this painful era and move together toward reconciliation.
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Media Contacts:
Wab Kinew, Co-organizer (National), 204-227-9498,wab.kinew@gmail.com
Niigaanwewidam Sinclair, Co-organizer (Manitoba), 204-999-5192, niigaanwewidam@umanitoba.ca
Andrea Landry, Co-organizer (Ontario), 226-787-7700, Andrea_landry@hotmail.ca
Jodi Stonehouse, Co-organizer (Alberta), 780-902-0049, jodi@ualberta.ca