Photo by Emily Chatwood / MBC News
Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Chief R. Donald Maracle says Canadians need to see the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as more than a symbolic gesture.
In an interview with myFM, the Chief said the day, officially recognized in 2021, was created to remember the 139 residential schools that operated across Canada, including 17 in Ontario. The schools, run by the federal government and churches, were meant to erase Indigenous identity and force assimilation.
Maracle described the abuses children endured,
Other mistreatment included forced haircuts, malnutrition, medical neglect, physical and sexual assaults, and forced labour.
Many children died from disease, starvation and mistreatment. The last residential school closed in 1996.
He said Canadians must understand that residential schools are not distant history. Their legacy continues through intergenerational trauma,
While Ottawa has issued an apology and funded housing, water and child welfare programs, Maracle said most progress has come through court cases, not genuine reconciliation. Many communities still lack safe drinking water, proper housing and fair education funding.
The Chief warned that reconciliation cannot be reduced to wearing orange shirts or joining a walk on September 30. He said it must include action plans, fair access to services, and investments to close the infrastructure gap, which the Assembly of First Nations estimates at $349 billion.
Written by Emily Chatwood
