Chair of Truth and Reconciliation Commission visiting Humber College

Nov 20, 2015 | News

Delia Mactaggart

The experiences of Residential Schools by Aboriginals across Canada are no longer being ignored in the 21st Century.

Justice Murray Sinclair lawyer, judge and current chair member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be providing the Humber community a chance to learn about his findings.

Justice Sinclair is helping with a report, according to the Commission includes “systemic harms, intergenerational consequences and the impact on human dignity and the ongoing legacy of the residential schools [and] support commemoration of former Indian Residential School students and their families.”

The commission has also identified the names of over 4,000 children who died in residential schools as a result of negligence and abuse. This information was found during research for the commission’s “Missing Children Project.”

On Nov. 25 the commissioner will speak at the Lakeshore Campus auditorium 3199 Lake Shore Blvd. W at 2 p.m. confirms Elder Advisor Shelly Charles. She is the advisor at Humber North Campus Aboriginal Resource Centre.

“We had the commissioner come in April 2011, and he’s now finished his report,” for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The main focus of his speaking engagement will be to illustrate how “justice, health, and education” can be upheld by youth based on the United Nations Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples explained Charles.

“It’s to help promote dialogue that can assist those very important recommendations,” said Charles.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has collected documents from more than 300 communities since 2008. More than 6,700 stories will be included in a historical archive exploring the impact of Indian Residential schools on Aboriginal Canadians including First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities.

Sinclair grew up on a former reserve north of Selkirk, Man. He was appointed as an associate Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba back in 1988. He also was a Co-commissioner of Manitoba’s Justice Inquiry, according to the Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission website.