Finding truth and reconciliation

Healing rarely happens on its own – it requires a community of understanding.

Hundreds of survivors who attended Canada’s residential schools for Aboriginal youth gathered at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Atlantic National Event in Halifax on October 25 to 29 to share their experiences with academics, students, community members and the public. More than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were forcibly sent to the schools for more than a century, leaving a legacy of hurt and hardship in Canada's Aboriginal communities.

Dalhousie's Jennifer Llewellyn spent most of her week at the proceedings. The constitutional and public law professor has been working with residential school survivors for many years, as an advisor to the Assembly of First Nations in their negotiations over redress for the schools and, subsequently, as a member of the external expert review panel for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Sharing knowledge

At the conference, Prof. Llewellyn took part in various sharing circles where people discussed issues in justice, rights, protection of Aboriginal languages and health and wellness in Aboriginal communities. She was also involved in a month-long effort by the Schulich School of Law to bring awareness about residential schools to students.

“Instead of just talking at people about research, people wanted to share our knowledge in a collaborative way,” says Prof. Llewellyn. “Think about the relationship between knowledge and power. We want the knowledge to move forward to the next generation.”

The conference gave support staff across Atlantic Canada their first opportunity to discuss ways to help Aboriginal students in postsecondary education.

Marking the occasion

Meanwhile the Schulich School of Law hosted various events to commemorate the Halifax event. Ms. Llewellyn taught a one-week intensive course about residential schools shortly before the event. Michael DeGagné, director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, also gave a special lecture. The law school also hosted the Where are the Children photo exhibit, which showcases photography from residential schools and held special workshops about the exhibit for the public.

“We wanted the exhibit in the building so it could have a presence at the school,” says Prof. Llewellyn. “As a law school we’re holders of knowledge so we wanted others to come into a different space to be educated.”

Students interested in learning about Aboriginal rights can visit the exhibit Stealing the Gaze at the Dalhousie Art Gallery. The exhibit, on display until November 27, features contemporary self-portraits from Aboriginal artists.

Prof. Llewellyn hopes the Halifax event has left a lasting impression in the city.

“We need to learn the legacy of residential schools in order to understand the issues,” she says. “It’s our challenge and it starts with conciliation.”