The time for one of the largest gatherings of BC’s residential school survivors is fast approaching and organizers have important information to share. The TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Canada) British Columbia National Event will be taking place in Vancouver from Sept. 16 to Sept. 22 at the PNE grounds.
Those planning to attend must make travel arrangements as soon as possible.
Teechuktl Manager Vina Robinson says the TRC will not be providing travel assistance to former residential school students; it is entirely up to each person to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
“Some groups began fundraising a long time ago,” she said, and she hopes that everyone who wants to go will be able to make it to one of the largest gatherings of BC’s first nations people ever.
There will be many components to the gathering and people need to know what they must do in order to take part in the events.
There will be an All Nations Canoe Gathering held Sept. 17 and this is particularly important to Nuu-chah-nulth-aht because their registered canoes will lead the flotilla of canoes with AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo in the lead canoe.
So far, no Nuu-chah-nulth canoes have registered for the canoe gathering. To register your canoe online, go to www.reconciliationcanada.ca or call Dawnda Joseph, All Nations Canoe Gathering Event Manager, at 1-604-770-4434 or e-mail her at dawnda.joseph@reconciliationcanada.ca.
According to Kim Rai of the NTC’s Teechuktl program, this is the TRC’s largest gathering to date. More than 30,000 people are expected to attend every day. It is for this reason that facilities as large as the PNE had to be rented.
During the event, spaces will be set aside for both public and private statement gathering. There will be survivor gatherings, sharing circles, cultural events, films, displays and much more.
Making statements allows survivors or their descendants to share thoughts and feeling about how the residential experience has shaped their lives.
There is important information that people planning to make statements at this gathering should know.
- Public statements will only be taken for those people who haven’t already done so.
- This event will be the last opportunity to make a private or public statement in British Columbia. After the event people will have to go to Alberta or further to make a statement, although written statements will continue to be accepted.
- Written statements can be anything the writer wants it to be, from writing about the experience to poetry, to art work. Whatever the person is comfortable with is acceptable.
- Due to the large numbers of people wishing to make statements, Quu-asa staff advises people wishing to make statements be there the first day in order to reserve a time-slot; the time slots are expected to fill quickly.
- There is a strict 15-minute time limit for those making public statements; there will be no exceptions to this rule.
- There is no time limit for private statements and one can take a support person with them during the statement.
- Rooms will be set up for taking private, recorded statements
There are 209 First Nations in BC and all are invited to the event; some will be coming from Alberta.
More than 300 support workers will be at the event to provide assistance to survivors. Nuu-chah-nulth support workers will be among them and will be wearing green or red vests.
Squamish Nation will open their campgrounds for canoe families and former residential school students and their families. People are advised to register at the campground as soon as possible with Dawnda Joseph.
Lastly, Kim Rai advises survivors to be prepared mentally. Talk to your support people in order to be prepared for what may be an intense emotional experience.
If you wish to make a statement at the gathering it is vitally important that you be at the event the first day to sign up for a time slot.
Be prepared financially because there is no financial assistance for those wishing to attend.
The Mayor of Vancouver had declared Vancouver the 2013/14 City of Reconciliation. Several Vancouver area cultural groups have been meeting regularly as they plan to take part in multicultural events during the gathering like the Walk for Reconciliation on Sept. 22.
The national gathering will take place in Ottawa in 2015.
Go to TRC.ca website for more information or call Kim Rai or Lisa Robinson at the NTC Teechuktl Program at 250-724-3939.
