By Sheldon Spackman

Victims of residential schools to be remembered in Red Deer June 11

May 26, 2018 | 1:45 PM

Students at Red Deer’s Ecole Barrie Wilson Elementary School took time on Friday to learn more about a day set aside to honour the lives of Aboriginal children who died or went missing while attending residential schools.

A signing took place during the assembly proclaiming June 11 as Remembering the Children Day in Red Deer.

The event also featured songs, poems, dance, music performed by the Hunting Hills Steel Drummers and moving messages from the likes of Muriel Stanley Venne, Chair for the Aboriginal Commission on Human Rights and Justice and City of Red Deer Deputy Mayor Ken Johnston.

Johnston told the students, “We are now living in an age of reconciliation, repair, respect and renewal,” adding that 150,000 aboriginal children were separated from their families during the time of residential schools in Canada with June 11 marking the anniversary of the official apology 10 years ago.  

Hayley Christen, Coordinator for First Nations, Metis and Inuit Learning Services for Red Deer Public Schools and a member of Remembering the Children Society says the event is important to help people remember what happened at Indian Residential Schools.

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“Children went missing or died of illness and were buried and often times not given proper burial ceremonies,” says Christen. “So the society started a number of years ago wanting to do something about this to make a difference to the families of the children that this happened to.”

In September of last year, a memorial stone unveiling took place in Red Deer to acknowledge the previously unmarked graves of four Aboriginal students who died at the Red Deer Industrial School which operated from 1893-1919.

Christen says Friday’s event is important to ensure continuity of remembering what happened here a century ago.

“It’s really important for us to have it with the students, with the young people,” adds Christen. “That’s who we want to celebrate now as we remember the young people who this happened to years ago. We don’t want them to be forgotten, we want to honour their families.”

“I think people are only beginning to learn about it following the national apology in 2008,” adds Christen. “It has increased awareness.”