Editor’s note: Ava Ouellet wrote the following essay in September for her Grade 11 English class at Lockerby Composite School. It is being reprinted here with her permission.
As an Indigenous student, Truth and Reconciliation hold deep and symbolic meaning to me, as my family has been affected by the painful history of oppression and residential schools. Through this, I have gained an understanding of the remarkable resilience many communities possess and the meaningful actions that must be taken. Any action, regardless of size, can create a difference in the future of Canada.
By honouring the land acknowledgements, partaking in Orange Shirt Day, and promoting Indigenous artists, the message that every child matters can grow larger. Reconciliation is not just about the past; it's about building a future with truth, resilience, and hope by standing together through allyship and respect. These core values can build a Canada where Indigenous values are heard and empowered, for future generations to come.
Residential schools affected almost all Indigenous peoples in some way, and for me, that was my great-grandmother. In these schools, where they were taken by force, Indigenous peoples were stripped of their culture, forced to not use their native tongue, speak a foreign language, and ripped away from their families.
Many other children were physically, emotionally and even sexually abused, while thousands never made it back home. Families like mine were left in shambles with generational trauma embedded deep in their communities that is still present today.
Now, we have the voice and platforms to come forward and bring truth. Indigenous peoples have demonstrated resilience in keeping their culture, identity and language alive through storytelling, regardless of the odds they were dealt.
These residential schools affected many, and the way to spread hope is through education, allyship, and respect to prevent future generations from reliving the past and to bring justice to impacted communities.
Reconciliation is needed for allyship and mutual respect between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous people to mend the hurt caused. What allyship means to me is to stand up, support and take accountability to amplify the voices of those being oppressed.
It is shown in our everyday life, through land acknowledgements, avoiding hurtful terms like “Indian”, and including Indigenous perspectives on education, which all circle back to the key fundamental of mutual respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. An example of reconciliation I believe holds power is funding and supporting these communities that are poor and struggling with heavy situations, like addiction, as a result of residential schools. Reconciliation is a task both sides need to uphold through partnership, not pity. Equal efforts should be made in repairing these broken relationships through respect and allyship.
To build a better future for Indigenous communities across Canada, it is a required step to face the painful truths of our past with sincerity, honesty, and courage. Truth and Reconciliation is more than just a phrase; it symbolizes the national responsibility to bring awareness to historical injustices and current issues caused by colonialism, like residential schools.
It is also actively trying to heal those generational wounds with education and relationships between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous people. As a Moose Cree First Nation student, I believe that allyship and respect for one another are the key fundamentals to unite and build a stronger Canada where the legacy of every child matters is forever recognized to its fullest potential.
Ava Ouellet is a Grade 11 student at Lockery Composite School. She is a member of Moose Cree First Nation.