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'A BEACON OF HOW TO AVOID THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST'

MSIFN CHIEF OFFERS THOUGHTS ON NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

CHRIS HALL chall@durhamregion.com

Acknowledging the past, raising awareness and working together for a better future is what Truth and Reconciliation Day means to the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

As Canadians prepare to mark the second edition of the new federal holiday Sept. 30, Kelly Larocca, the Scugog Island First Nation chief, offered some personal insight into the day formerly known as Orange Shirt Day before the Trudeau government introduced the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021.

One key aspect to keep in mind, said Chief Larocca, is the story of Phyllis Webstad, who was stripped of her favourite orange shirt when she arrived at a Canadian residential school, eventually becoming a face for Orange Shirt Day and the horrors Indigenous people faced.

"That is very compelling and heart-wrenching and so we want to keep that story alive because really that is the thrust of what our students experienced back when they were going to those schools," said the chief. "Carrying on the stories and keeping them alive and as a bit of a beacon to how to avoid the mistakes of the past, but also that we just simply need to treat all children with dignity."

Raising awareness and public education is also an important piece of Truth and Reconciliation Day, added Chief Larocca.

"It's also a holiday around where we take time to think about reconciliation and how we organize our personal lives and our professional lives in a way that honours reconciliation. That's what I hope for individuals and workplaces, that they would take that day to learn to get some perspective, to think about what reconciliation means and how they can contribute to that ideal in tangible actions and activ

ities," she said.

"I'd like to see people taking time to educate themselves, immerse themselves in the various events that go on in and around their communities and their homes (and) take part in public education events."

From there, continued

the chief, perhaps people can take some action on their own.

"Just working to try and understand what it might mean to be an ally to an Indigenous community, how might that be put into practice," she said. "And that's a question that for some people — it might come fairly quickly or easily; for others, it might take a while. And all I can ask is that people put their minds and hearts to that question and try and implement it over time."

And while the MSIFN embraces the idea of the holiday and what it does mean, Chief Larocca questions why the federal government dragged its feet before the discovery of children's graves expedited the declaration of Sept. 30 as a national day of observance.

"I'm glad they did it, (but) I do believe it took them far too long to do it," said the chief.

When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada issued its final report in Dec. 2015, "it documented very clearly the process and the horrors behind Canada's residential schools," said Chief LaRocca.

"However, it wasn't until we actually physically came upon the children's graves at some of Canada's residential schools within the last couple of years ... that the government actually decided to take action and mark that day as a as a national holiday," she said. "It was really unfortunate that they had waited until that occurred or that those discoveries were made and it just showed to me that, in some level, that report just wasn't fully real or hadn't percolated for the government until they found objective evidence that had taken place.

"And in that way, those children that they found are truth-tellers. They are the tellers of Canada's history with Indigenous peoples and so we owe them a debt of gratitude. And to me, that's what the day is about as well."

The Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation will host a private, sunrise ceremony Sept. 30 to mark Truth and Reconciliation Day.

The evening prior, on Sept. 29, Larocca will headline a public discussion that aims to shed more light on the historical, legal and political issues impacting the Indigenous peoples of Canada. It will run from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Scugog Community Recreation Centre, 1655 Reach St., and will feature a special musical performance by Gary Larocca.

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2022-09-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

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