CBC News
June 24, 2010
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2010/06/23/trc-iqaluit.html
Members of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are meeting with Inuit residential school survivors in Iqaluit on Thursday, less than a week after they held their first national event.
It's the first visit to the eastern Arctic for the national commission, which was formed by the federal government to acknowledge, document and educate the public about former residential schools students' experiences.
Manitoba Justice Murray Sinclair, the truth commission's chairman, said this week's short visit won't be the only time his commission travels to Iqaluit.
"We will be coming back with our statement-gathering team, because we intend on having a significant community event here," Sinclair told reporters Wednesday, shortly after his flight arrived at the Iqaluit airport.
Invited by Inuit group
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was invited to Nunavut's capital by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, which represents the interests of Inuit across Canada.
Sinclair and his fellow commissioners are scheduled to make a presentation at Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami's annual general meeting on Thursday morning.
Afterwards, they will hold an informal meeting with residential school survivors at the Anglican Parish Hall, starting at 3 p.m. ET.
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| Truth and Reconciliation Commission chair Murray Sinclair told reporters Wednesday that the commission will likely visit Iqaluit again before it holds its next national event in Inuvik, N.W.T., in June 2011 |
"We thought we would take advantage our presence and meet the local officials and talk with some survivors and organizations that are affiliated with the community," Sinclair said.
Northern challenges
Among those expected to attend the afternoon meeting is Marius Tungilik, who was sent to a residential school in Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut, in the 1960s.
"I think they need to know what sort of challenges we face as northerners, especially as Inuit," he said.
Tungilik said it has been a long journey since he appeared before the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in 1992.
"I think it opened the door to the issues surrounding residential schools," he said, adding that he hopes he can now get some closure by sharing his story with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
National event coming north
The Iqaluit visit comes on the heels of the commission's first national event, held from June 16 to 19 in Winnipeg.
Sinclair said the commission will likely visit Iqaluit again before it holds its second national event in Inuvik, N.W.T., in June 2011.
A total of seven national events will be held across Canada, in order to give former residential school students, staff and others who have been affected by the experience a chance to talk about it publicly.
The events are also intended to educate the public about the residential school system, which existed in Canada for more than 100 years.
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