HEALING AND RECONCILIATION FOR COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES
Giving Reconciliation a Home
The experiences and stories shared by Canadian residential school survivors are what paved the way to “reconciliation” as we know it today.
More than four million records, including statements, documents, oral histories and sacred items have been entrusted to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), with millions more still to come.
This irreplaceable collection contains records of survivors’ most painful moments, and it gives witness to the stories of those who did not survive. And yet, this vital collection is scattered across the country.
These conditions are unacceptable, so the NCTR is taking action to give the largest archive of residential school records in the world a space they deserve. The new, permanent home will be at an international learning lodge in Winnipeg. Guided by the vision of survivors, the Centre will safeguard the collection and provide safe spaces for families to view records and reconnect, and offer spaces for statement gathering, ceremonies and land-based learning. It will also host classrooms and contain a lecture theatre and research facilities to ensure education and healing can take place side by side.
The Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) is providing funding to help bring the NCTR’s permanent home to life. These funds will support the creation of climate-controlled vaults to protect records, create ceremonial spaces to honour Indigenous traditions, and ensure these truths are accessible for generations to come. This new home will preserve Canada’s history, honour survivors and support reconciliation, while serving as a memorial to the children who never returned home.
Archdiocese of Winnipeg
