A new flag was unveiled by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) that honours residential school survivors.
Multiple unmarked grave sites were found in the past few weeks using ground penetrating radar search of former residential school grounds, which caused a huge uproar regarding the truth behind colonization and the mistreatment of Indigenous people. Many Canadians have shown their support and stood in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples of Canada.
Initially 200 graves were found in Kamloops which inspired the same inspection to be conducted at other sites all across the country and the number of unmarked graves grew rapidly.
This flag was designed over a 6 week period in which many residential school survivors were consulted throughout Canada. The ideas and conceptualization was left completely up to the survivors as it is meant to represent them and their struggle.
Eventually 9 elements were selected, such as an inukshuk, because not everything discussed could be depicted. These elements were chosen with a collaboration between over 30 survivors and the NCTR.
“It’s an important symbol of bringing people together. Our people know that there are so many unanswered questions in relation to what happened at residential schools but what happened earlier this spring was just a validation of what Indigenous people have been saying all along” said Garnet Angeconeb, who is a survivor of Pelican Lake residential school in Sioux Lookout, Ont. (via CBC news)
“The healing process seems to be coming slowly together but it’s going to take some time,” said Levinia Brown, an Inuk residential school survivor from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. (via CBC news0