KAMSACK — The end of September marks Truth and Reconciliation Day, a day to come together and acknowledge Canadian history and decide as a community how to move forward.
This includes programming and education in schools such as Chief Gabriel Cote Education Complex.
Jonas Cote has been the principal of Chief Gabriel Cote Education Complex for about 24 years.
This year, to mark Truth and Reconciliation Day, everyone at Chief Gabriel Cote Education Complex will be doing a school march to their Truth and Reconciliation monument.
This was a community school decision, Cote said.
“We made this decision to help remember and never forget for the generations to come,” said Cote.
Cote says it’s important to mark Truth and Reconciliation Day as a way of not forgetting what other generations went through.
“It is important to remember and never forget the trauma and abuse our grandparents went through in residential school, (and) to make our youth and generations to come aware of residential schools,” said Cote.
“It is very important to our history as a people,” continued Cote. “The trauma and abuse that our grandparents went through still affects our generations through alcohol and drugs.”
At Chief Gabriel Cote Education Complex, they host a version of Orange Shirt Day every Friday.
“This is our way of remembering why we have Truth and Reconciliation day in September,” said Cote.
Cote also says educating themselves about residential schools is how white Canadians can do better as we work towards Truth and Reconciliation.
“For white Canadians to understand and respect truth and reconciliation is to hear about the residential school system that tried to destroy our language, customs, beliefs, and the trauma and abuse of the residential school system. There are many communities and schools that do not teach this part of Canadian history,” said Cote.
Cote also says this is the same route white journalists can take as we work towards truth and reconciliation.
“I think white journalists need to learn about the residential school system,” said Cote. “They seem to only talk about what they research.”
