Re-Raising of the Survivors' Flag on Parliament Hill

OTTAWA, UNCEDED ALGONQUIN TRADITIONAL TERRITORY – Canada's history is forever stained by the tragic reality of the residential school system, which forcibly separated Indigenous children from their families and communities, subjecting them to abuse and neglect and prohibiting them from practicing their cultures, traditions and languages. First Nations, Inuit and Métis residential school Survivors gathered on the unceded territory of the Anishinabeg Algonquin People to re-raise the Survivors' Flag on Parliament Hill. Survivors came together to share their truths about the residential school system and honor the memory of all the children who never returned home.

Survivors, Elder Claudette Commanda, and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) were joined at this commemorative event by leaders of National Indigenous Organizations, Her Excellency the Right Honorable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, and the Honorable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.

The Survivors' Flag on Parliament Hill honors the children who never returned home from residential school and acknowledges the enduring trauma and ongoing impacts on Survivors and the generations that came after them. It serves as an important reminder of the shameful treatment of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and symbolizes Canada's ongoing commitment to reconciliation.

Elder Claudette Commanda stated, "I'm honored to be a part of the ceremony today on the unceded and unsurrendered Algonquin Anishinabeg Territory. The journey to reconciliation is not a straightforward path, and there is still so much work to be done. Today's gathering is another positive step forward as we listen to Survivors, hear their oral histories, and honor them in their healing journeys."

"As a Survivor of the Ermineskin Residential School, I am filled with emotion when I see the Survivors' Flag being re-raised. Sharing my story—my truths—is a part of my journey and my healing as a Survivor. I do this so that people will understand what we went through as First Nations people in the hopes that the past will never be repeated,” said Laurie McDonald, Survivor, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation's Survivors Circle.