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September 30, 2023
Ottawa, Ontario
If you need someone to talk to, The Hope for Wellness Help Line offers support to all Indigenous Peoples. Counsellors are available by phone or online chat. This service is available in English and French, and, upon request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca. The National Residential School Crisis Line also offers emotional support and crisis referral services for residential school Survivors and their families. Call the toll-free Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:
“Today, as we mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, we confront the lasting impacts of the residential school system for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in Canada. We come together to remember the children who were stolen from their communities, and those whose lives were stolen from them at these so-called schools. We honour the Survivors, many of whom suffered physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. We listen to their truths, and we reiterate our commitment to building a better future for Indigenous Peoples and for everyone in Canada.
“Between 1867 and 1998, over 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children were taken from their families and communities and forced to attend residential schools, where they were banned from speaking their languages and practising their cultures and traditions. As communities continue searching for the children who never came home, the Government of Canada will be there every step of the way to provide them with the resources they need to fully uncover the truth of what happened at residential schools, honour the children who did not return, and support communities as they continue on their healing journeys.
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