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On Sept. 30, 2023, we commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation also known as Orange Shirt Day. This year, don’t just take a day off work. Take time to learn more about reconciliation – read about residential schools and their impacts, learn about intergenerational trauma, watch a mini-documentary or listen to a podcast about the ongoing search for children who never returned home. Stop for a minute and think about what that means and the impacts they still have.

The new school year just started, children go to school in the morning and return in the afternoon. The Office of the Treaty Commissioner is asking that you imagine how it would feel to be forced to send a child to a boarding school and not see them until June, or never have them come home: the gravity of a situation you have no control over and can’t stop. How would you feel if you never saw your child again?  Or know what happened to them? Feel angry about a system that was run by the government and churches – places that are supposed to be safe and protect people that were instead administering the residential school system and could not be turned to for help. Feel devastated at the idea that decades later some parents and families still do not know what happened to the children that left to school.

But don’t stop with these feelings. The OTC is asking you to channel those emotions and be motivated to take action: donate to organizations that support survivors and their families; advocate for churches and others to release records to family members; stand in solidarity with families.

The journey of reconciliation is not about checking things off a list. It’s not about ensuring you have said the right thing. It is a growth process, it is about being open minded and willing to learn, it usually involves a range of emotions and uncomfortable conversations with yourself and the people around you.

We know that through kindness, patience, and understanding we can do better, and we have to do better. It is together that we become stronger and make our Treaty territories a safe and healthy place for all of us. It is about walking together on a journey to create a new, shared future for our children and grandchildren. Every Child Matters.

A team of student mentors and the Office of the Treaty Commissioner director of Research and Archives traveled to Montreal to attend the National Gathering on Unmarked Burials.

“These conferences are never easy, but it has to be done and the education and conversations that come from it are why we do it,” said Morgan Esperance, a member of the research and archives team.

The conference featured survivors sharing their truths, leaders speaking on processes, researchers about the work of accessing residential school records, and the Special Interlocuter for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites, Kimberly Murray.

Community leaders talked about what steps they took and what their process looked like when searching and dealing with unmarked graves. Journalist Tanya Talaga spoke of her experience searching for her great, great grandmother, including inconsistent information, name misspelling in documents, and barriers with access to information and privacy laws.

Survivors told personal stories, including their experiences searching for missing siblings who never returned from residential school. In some cases, people have found missing loved ones, and they were able to put in a gravestone and have closure, for many others the search continues.

“One man shared his story for the first time ever it was amazing. His partner stood behind him the whole time and he fell into her arms when he finished. It was powerful and beautiful to watch him let that go,” Esperance said.

OTC team members overcame emotion to ask questions and learn as much as possible about Unmarked Burials, the research being done, and the kind of support needed.

Following the event, the team debriefed with one another.

“We all talked together about how we were feeling and laid some tobacco down and said a prayer, so we could move forward in a good and healthy way after the emotional two days,” said Eli Worme, a student who works with the research and archives team.

Healing is a continuing journey for residential school survivors and the for those that are faced with the painful legacy. The OTC thanks survivors that have the courage to share their story and stands in solidarity with all survivors and their families.

If you are a Survivor and need emotional support, a national crisis line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Residential School Survivor Support Line: 1-866-925-4419

According to current Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada policy, those currently entering Modern Treaties are being asked to surrender their lands, giving up current or future claim on their historic lands. As the spirit and intent of Treaty negotiations is defined by an equal partnership to share the lands and resources with newcomers, many are nations are rightly not interested in losing all connections to their land, or legally giving up their right or claim to it. This is stalling Modern Treaty processes.

In documents accessed by media outlets, the Government of Canada has been discussing possible changes to this land claim process that removes the need for communities to surrender land. In place of a surrender, the government is suggesting that as part of Modern Treaty negotiations communities could retain a connection to the land while agreeing not to sue for damages or return of the land.

The Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan is among the voices calling for increased funding for specific claims and a desire for an independent process to handle these claims

The use of these new measures is a move away from the relic of colonial laws, and marks another small step towards reconciliation. However, true reconciliation can only be achieved though full Treaty implementation, including, including Treaties 1-11 which allowed newcomers to settle in what was later called Saskatchewan.

The change to using promissory estoppel in specific claims settlements does not impact the historical treaties as the numbered Treaties in Saskatchewan never involved a land surrender. Oral histories and the Crown’s archival records tell us those Treaties were negotiated to be able to share the lands and resources. Treaty wasn’t about surrendering anything. Treaty was to share the land to the depth of a plough, enough for the new settlers to plant their seeds.

The numbered Treaties needs to be honoured in full Spirit and Intent and governments need to work harder to implement these.

The Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan calls on the Government of Canada to right past wrongs and the misadministration of land and resources for Indigenous Peoples.

At a media event today, the English River First Nation announced the results of a two-year search using ground-penetrating radar near the former Beauval Indian Residential School site. Remains of 93 people have been identified, with 79 believed to be children and 14 to be infants.

Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan Mary Musqua-Culbertson spoke at the event. She asked parents to imagine what it would be like to send your four-year-old off to Kindergarten next week and not see them again until June. And then in June waiting to see your child, who never came home.

“[Parents now] get to hold their children at night, they get to kiss them, they get to hug them. Many of our people did not have that opportunity, nor did our parents feel that love,” she said.

Residential schools are the broken Treaty promise of education. First Nations families wanted children to be educated, to be prepared for the future, but also be able to keep their culture, and language. That is not what they got.

“These are ugly truths that we have to come to grips with in this country. Whether we like it or not this is happening, these truths are being unveiled.

“Nobody believed our survivors, nobody believed our oral history. Now they do.”

Musqua-Culberston said, learning the true history of Canada is the most important.

“I cannot say this enough, but It is all our responsibility, as people who live in this country to educate ourselves, take advantage of the resources, they are everywhere now.”

Read more about the event:

‘Not the final numbers’: 93 possible unmarked graves discovered at former Beauval residential school

Sask. First Nation says it’s found 93 potential unmarked child, infant graves

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner was thrilled to work with the Saskatoon Open Door Society (SODS) to support intercultural learnings and information about Treaty with the Treaty Learning Journey: Let’s Talk Truth.

Over seven, 90-minute sessions, SODS staff and alumni from the Leadership and Community Engagement (LACE) program walked through the true history of Canada, from Before Treaty, then what happened At Treaty, After Treaty, and Today.

We were pleased to hear their feedback on the topics, including Indigenous worldview and indigeneity, numbered Treaties, breaches of Treaty, and contemporary Treaty issues.

Participants shared that they learned more about Indigenous communities, and the training dispelled myths they had been taught.

“The course helped me to understand the historical background of the issues Indigenous communities have been going through. I now realize how much problems we have inherited from the history and we have the obligation to make things correct,” said one participant on their feedback form.

“I have learned more about Canada’s history with Indigenous people and how it affects our country now. I think I’ve gained a greater understanding of the issues facing our Indigenous brothers and sisters,” another said about the training.

We were so happy to present certificates to 40 participants at a small graduation ceremony in June attended by OTC executive director, Angie Merasty, as well as the OTC programs team, speakers bureau member and trainer Delvin Kanêwiyakiho, and the CEO of SODS, Ali Abukar.

As we complete these trainings we are thrilled to see the engagement of participants who want to make positive changes in their communities. This is reconciliation in action.

In the words of one participant, “I think this [training] needs to become mandatory for all of our employees.”

The Woodland Cree Gathering is an annual event hosted in rotation between the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, Lac La Ronge Indian Band and Montreal Lake Cree Nation. It’s happening this week on the Chief Joseph Custer urban reserve in Prince Albert.

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner team was pleased to be able to attend events starting on Tuesday, the day for honouring Indian Residential School Survivors.

Our team was there to share information about the work of the OTC, the services of the speakers bureau and library and archives team, and opportunities to learn through our Treaty education department. We handed out information and answered questions.

We also got to see and participate in actives like hide scraping, smoothing meat and fish, preparing traditional meals like moose meat and stews.

“My favourite part was hearing elders speak during our interviews, but also hearing the speakers Tuesday who honoured NAIG athletes, as well as Chief Tammy Cook Searson’s speech about honouring the residential school survivors and the effects of the Indian residential school system,” said Eli Worme, a member of the OTC team at the event.

This gathering provided the opportunity for our researches to conduct interviews with Elders. They share stories that we are able to add to our archives as part of the oral histories of the Treaty territories.

Hear more through local media coverage:
Prince Albert Daily Herald: Woodland Cree gathering allows residential school survivors to foster healing by sharing stories

MBC Radio News: LLRIB Tammy Cook-Searson at the Woodland Cree Gathering in conversation with Jude Ratt, host of Achimowin

Members of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner team travelled to Duck Lake, Saskatchewan to attend the third St. Michael’s Indian Residential School Gathering in early August.

We were there to share information about the work of the office, including information available in our archives, some of our work pertaining to Indian Residential School research, and how individuals can contact us for information to support their research.

There were about 100 people at the event including Elders and residential school Survivors, who attended to hear speakers focused on trauma, healing, and recovery.

“It was important and necessary. Speeches were made about addiction, love from our parents who attended residential school and intergenerational trauma,” said Morgan Esperance, a member of the OTC team.

There were also musical performers who provided entertainment during the breaks.

“The event it had a more serious tone the day [we] were there,” said Eli Worme, another team member.

“I am glad I was able to attend the event and hear the speakers I think it’s important and I believe other events like this should take place.”

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner is thrilled to be sharing the Treaty Timeline in partnership with the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, Russell Mirasty, at Government House in Regina this summer.

“As we continue to work to share information with the public having this Treaty Timeline is an excellent tool to help further the understanding of Canada’s true history. Working with the Lieutenant Governor and his team, we are able to reach even more people,” said Treaty Commissioner, Mary Musqua-Culbertson.

Research started in 2018 for the Treaty Timeline, which was created to share the history of the territories from 1643 to 2022.  The goal was to represent a chronological timeline through 711 entries focusing on Treaty events, including entries on the history of settlement in Saskatchewan.

The display is printed on cloth and stretches serpentine through a room at Government House.

“I am grateful to the Office of the Treaty Commissioner for sharing this educational Treaty timeline with Government House,” said Lieutenant Governor Mirasty.

“The timeline is part of an exhibit that includes an original Treaty 6 Adhesion document, loaned to us by the Montreal Lake First Nation. The Adhesion artifact, along with the fascinating timeline display, help to make Treaty history come alive. I’ve been pleased to share the exhibit with classrooms visiting Government House in June, and on July 1, thousands of people viewed the exhibit. Many more will have an opportunity to learn about our Treaty history throughout the summer.”

Visitors will be able to learn starting with Pre-Contact, when since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples maintained a sacred connection to Mother Earth with their own political, legal, social, and economic systems develop in accordance with the laws of the Creator. The learnings wrap up in 2022 after the appointments of Mirasty as Lieutenant-Governor in 2019, and Kimberly Murray as the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites.

Every parent has a right to know what happened to children that were taken to residential school. Every family has a right to be united with remains of the children who were buried. This should not be taking decades. It has taken decades for survivors’ stories to be believed, despite Canada, the church, and other organizations responsible for these schools knowing the truth.

It is already long past time to truly honour the Treaty right to education. The right to have a school house on every reserve and a teacher for that school was twisted into residential schools that tried to see Indigenous culture, language, traditional knowledge, and history destroyed.

This interim report calls for the work that started with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to be continued. To see all the missing children in unmarked burials returned home. The interim report also calls for Indian Residential School denialism to be considered a hate crime. It is atrocious to see articles written and posts made denying the existence of missing children, unmarked graves, and deaths of children.

The OTC stands in solidary with Special Interlocutor Kimberly Murray, who bears an immense responsibility on this journey. As she said, “upholding human rights principles does not require me to be morally indifferent to the fate of children who are victims of genocide, mass human rights violations, and injustice. Rather, I have an ethical duty to insist that there be accountability and justice for the missing children, Survivors, Indigenous families, and communities.”

“[It is] my responsibility is to speak up on behalf of those missing children in unmarked burials. I want to emphasize this point: my role is to give voice to the children. It is not to be neutral or objective – it is to be a fierce and fearless advocate to ensure that the bodies and Spirits of the missing children are treated with the care, respect, and dignity that they deserve,” Murray says in the report.

We are long past the time that all Canadians should understand the gravity and impact that willful ignorance, racism, and the colonization goals of Canada and the Crowns has on Indigenous People — of the genocide that was being committed. But, we must get there because without this knowledge and understanding, without empathy, there can be no healing and there can be no reconciliation.

The OTC continues to offer our resources and support to the nations, communities, and survivors in their search projects to find unmarked burials and try to bring their family member home. The research by OTC cited in the interim report, a year of working to get access to documents, shows our ongoing commitment to have government, churches, and other institutions, release their records.

We echo the Special Interlocutor’s call to not be a bystander. “Each of us must stand up and speak out. We must insist that these missing children, who were abused and neglected during their lives, now be treated with the respect and human dignity they deserve.”

Read the report. Meet the real people behind this work, like the parents of Marieyvonne Alaka Ukaliannuk, who said goodbye to their four-year-old daughter expecting to see her the next summer, and only learning where her remains were 50 year later. Or the family of Charlie Hunter, who struggled for 37 years to have the remains of their 13-year-old son returned to their community of Weenusk First Nation. It took until 2011 and the support of readers of the Toronto Star to make this a reality.

We can only complete this work together. By challenging those in power to do better. By having open access to residential school records for families and communities. By asking the difficult questions like: what if this were my child? Or why would “schools” have cemeteries. By stopping violent denialism.

We need to hear these hard truths and help families and communities heal and find justice.