ALBERTA
NATIONAL EVENT
MARCH 27-30, 2014
EDMONTON | SHAW CONFERENCE CENTRE
Welcome to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Alberta National Event in Edmonton from March 27 to 30, 2014. We acknowledge that this historic
gathering is taking place within traditional Treaty 6 Plains Cree territory.
TRC events provide an important opportunity for those affected by the legacy of the Indian Residential Schools to share their experiences with the Commission and the public. They also serve to educate Canadians about the country’s 130-year history of residential schools, and their legacy for Aboriginal communities and Canadian society as a whole.
This TRC National Event is the seventh and final National Event mandated by the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
In preparation, the TRC has held public hearings in Red Deer, Slave Lake, High Level, Maskwacis (formerly Hobbema), Lethbridge and Calgary.
Survivors from these and adjacent communities shared their experiences with the Commission in public and private sessions. Most of these hearings were webcast
on www.trc.ca, where the Alberta National Event will also be webcast, with large numbers of people tuning in from all over the world. Survivors and their family
members shared many personal and emotional truths, as well as hope for change and reconciliation.
In this same spirit of openness, the TRC Alberta National Event in Edmonton will offer a unique opportunity for all Canadians, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal,
to hear first-hand the experiences of those who attended the schools, to bear witness to the legacy of the residential school system, and to celebrate Aboriginal
culture. It is free and open to everyone.
We welcome you to Edmonton as we continue on this national journey for truth, healing and reconciliation.
Respectfully,
Justice Murray Sinclair
Chair
Chief Wilton Littlechild
Commissioner
Dr. Marie Wilson
commissioner
On behalf of Treaty 6, 7, and 8 First Nations I’d like to personally welcome each of you, whether you are a participant, a visitor, or a volunteer at the final Truth and Reconciliation
National Event. I would also like to thank the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), on their efforts to right the wrongs of the past. We commend the Commission for their effort to document the stories, which will be preserved in history so that the stories are told and retold in Canada’s school curriculum.
We are gathered here for a few days to learn the truth about what happened in the residential schools and to document the experiences so that all Canadians are correctly informed about what happened in the schools. It will be a painful time, but we must continue the work and adapt, remaining motivated, responsive and being open to new ideas.
Our TRC is confronting a time of many changes and they are working on meeting these changes during a time of larger nation-wide and global change. You will have a chance to hear the truth as painful as it may be, but you will also have an opportunity to meet resilient First Nation individuals who are seeking reconciliation; to find forgiveness and healing for themselves, their families and their communities.
In closing, I’d like to thank each of you for attending the Alberta National Event and bringing your experience to our gathering. You, as family, clan and community leaders, have the vision, the knowledge, the wherewithal and the experience to help us pave our way into the future. You are truly our greatest asset today and tomorrow, and we could not accomplish
what we do without your participation. Throughout this event, I ask you to stay engaged, keep us proactive and help us shape the future of Healing. My personal respect and thanks goes out to all of you.
Chief Cameron Alexis
regional chief of alberta
assembly of first nations