Former residential student opposed to ITK-NTI lawsuit

I do not support this lawsuit against the Government of Canada by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

I think it undermines the work that has been done to date to settle the claims of individual persons who were students at the residences.

Between 1987 and 1996, the basic work was done in starting the Inuit residential school claims, and obtaining apologies from the church and the government. Marius Tungilik, Jack Anawak and myself were the ones who organized a reunion of the Turquetil Hall and Joseph Bernier Federal Day School survivors, when about 150 people came to heal with us in July, 1993.

At that time we worked with the Roman Catholic church, in particular, to obtain an apology. At that time, the Inuit organizations were not interested in assuming any role in assisting the students. Paul Quassa, as president of NTI at the time, did come to the reunion, spoke briefly, then left.

Like Nicholas Arnatsiaq, and John Illupaalik, I was not consulted by either ITK or NTI, although I am a beneficiary of both organizations and someone who has been active in pursuing claims for individual students. To this day, I do not know what the ITK or NTI lawsuit is for, neither do I know if they are working together or individually.

On Sept. 17 and 18, 2005, I attended and spoke at “Facing the Legacy of Indian and Inuit Residential School,” sponsored by University of Toronto. Two major items of discussion at this meeting were the development of a National Day of Healing and Reconciliation and establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, something like the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission chaired by Bishop Desmond Tutu.

The Mission Statement for the National Day of Healing and Reconciliation is a movement of people committed to moving forward collectively within our families, our communities and across Canada for the purposes of healing and reconciliation.

It has three main objectives:

* To celebrate a positive, collective healing and reconciliation movement within our families, communities, churches and government on May 26 of each year;
* To educate ourselves and other Canadians about our collective history;
* To develop commemoration sites and to encourage communities to join in the National Day of Healing and Reconciliation.

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission would allow us to make a presentation about the way we were treated by the church and by governments, in dealing with us as Inuit pupils, which is what the three of us recommended in the first place in November of 1987.

I think we have come a long way, towards healing, with the churches and the governments. Using our Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, we already had clashes with the churches and the governments, but now, let’s work to make peace, using the old Inuit way of finding solutions to problems. I support “nalunaijainiq” for making peace.

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission would allow all Canadians to learn more about how we were treated. All Canadians have a right to know, and have a duty to correct their colonial attitudes towards the First Peoples of this country. It’s the right thing to do for moving forward.

In other countries, such as Australia, Aboriginal people are moving towards a “national sorry day,” otherwise called a National Day of Healing. Perhaps, as an international aboriginal community, we can begin to move to support and collaborate with one another.

Peter Irniq
Iqaluit