September 30th marks Canada's first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Commitment to truth and action: Their tiny voices woke the country 

They were the first of our nation. Caretakers of the land. Their voices were buried, but now they are heard. Their history is dark, deep, past, and present. I've been awakened. Indigenous voices. First Nations voices. Inuit voices. Metis voices. I want to hear you. I want to know.
 

They are buried.

She is missing.

He is suffering from trauma.

They are survivors. They are grieving. They remember. 

We are all accountable. 

I can honestly say I’ve never been more ashamed of my ignorance. A wise person once told me “Ignorance is not always bad, it’s simply a lack of knowledge.” I can assure you I was never taught about the residential school system when I was in school. Now that I’m aware, I’m learning more. I'm committed to learning. As a Canadian citizen, it’s my responsibility to combat my ignorance with knowledge. I’m reading, I’m learning, and most of all I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t know. I'm so unbelievably sorry.

The survivor's stories deserve to be told. To be heard. Please visit the Legacy of Hope Foundation to hear the stories of Residential School survivors. 

Today is Canada's first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Today we honour the lost children and survivors of Indigenous Residential Schools and First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities. 

I commit to taking action because truth without action is meaningless. I encourage everyone to read the 94 calls to action published by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. It's time to act.