Members of the Survivor-led Steering Committee for the Residential Schools National Monument announced
News release
GATINEAU, April 29, 2022
To honour residential school Survivors and all the children who were lost to their families and communities, a Residential Schools National Monument will be installed in a highly visible location in Ottawa.
Today, Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced the 16 members of the newly formed Survivor-led Steering Committee, which will guide work on the Residential Schools National Monument.
The Survivor-led Steering Committee will oversee the Monument project through to its completion, ensuring the project remains grounded in Indigenous values. Committee members will also provide advice and guidance on such matters as site selection, the design competition process, and the development of educational content and on-site programming.
Members were selected through a combination of direct appointments and a public nomination process managed by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
The Steering Committee will have an inaugural virtual meeting in early May 2022.
Quotes
“I congratulate each member of the Steering Committee and deeply appreciate their commitment to this important project. The Residential Schools National Monument to be installed in Ottawa as a highly visible and publicly accessible commemoration will provide a place to express grief, and to heal and learn. Indigenous people and all Canadians will be able to gather to mourn and honour Survivors and all the children who were lost to their families and communities.”
—Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage
“Call to Action 81 called on the federal government to commission a monument to honour the Survivors and all children who were lost in residential schools, and today is an important first step in honouring this commitment. The National Survivor Monument will stand in recognition of the painful legacy of the Residential Schools system in Canada, and in support of Indigenous Peoples as they work towards healing from this tragedy. The guidance from the Steering Committee will ensure this commemorative initiative speaks to the ongoing impacts felt by Survivors.”
—Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
“The creation of a National Survivor Monument is a positive step in increasing societal awareness about the legacy of residential, day and boarding schools in Canada. Survivors will play a central role in this initiative, which will focus on documenting the truth, achieving reconciliation, and healing past and existing wounds.”
—Stephanie Scott, Executive Director, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Quick facts
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Call to Action 81 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called on the federal government, in collaboration with Survivors, to install “a publicly accessible, highly visible, Residential Schools National Monument in the city of Ottawa to honour Survivors and all the children who were lost to their families and communities.”
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On August 10, 2021, the Government of Canada announced funding of $20 million to build this national monument in Ottawa.
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The Survivor-led Steering Committee will have its inaugural meeting in May 2022. The next steps include selecting a site and launching a design process, which will be adapted to eliminate barriers to Indigenous participation.
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Contacts
For more information (media only), please contact:
Laura Scaffidi
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
laura.scaffidi@pch.gc.ca
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
media@mediastyle.ca
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