National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation prepares to soar

Opinion

Just minutes before Premier Wab Kinew announced a $20-million commitment to help build a new facility for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba, a young eagle flew over the assembled crowd.

“It’s interesting how things work out like that,” the premier said, referring to the eagle. “It’s amazing to see what the survivors are doing and it’s about the young people.”

It was a perfect afternoon for a centre whose name tells its story.

Ten years ago, the centre was gifted by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to the University of Manitoba.

The centre’s mission — defined by the 94 calls to action of the TRC — was to facilitate research into residential schools, support and advocate for survivors of the schools, provide public education on the impacts of residential schools, and participate in commemorative actions and events that promote reconciliation between Canadians and Indigenous communities.

Shortly after that, the centre was gifted the name Bezhig Miigwan (One Feather), representing how each survivor is a sacred individual and, when their stories and experiences are brought together, lift up all of creation.

As the centre explains of the name on its website: “Bezhig Miigwan teaches we are all in this together — we are all one, connected, and it is vital to work together to achieve reconciliation.”

Since arriving at the University of Manitoba in 2015 the centre has, however, struggled to get off the ground.

From early struggles to find a director in 2014, jurisdictional fights at the University of Manitoba, and well-publicized operational funding issues, the centre has not soared to the heights hoped by survivors, Indigenous communities, and Canadians.

Some of this is, perhaps, expected because a centre with this mandate and purpose has never existed. The process has been, in a word, frustrating.

“There is no place like this in the world,” residential school survivor Eugene Arcand explained to the crowd at the province’s announcement. “So we have learned that we must work hard and earn it.”

There have, of course, been successes for the centre — most notably the annual, nationally televised event “Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation” on Parliament Hill — but the centre has had to fight an uphill battle with governments, partners, or Canadians who are not always interested in talking about this country’s most violent policy.

This struggle is visible most by where the centre is housed. Since its inception, it has been housed on the U of M campus at Chancellor’s Hall, a former residence for its president. The building isn’t quite that regal, however.

To put it mildly, Chancellor’s Hall is old, cramped, and full of leaks and cracks. There are just five parking spots, no suitable space for research or tours, and the walls and floors overflow with books, objects, and archival documents from government departments, churches, and university researchers dating back to the 19th century.

In fact, many archival documents and vital research equipment are stored off-site.

In other words, the centre exists in a place where research, education, and advocacy pertaining to Canadian history, residential schools and this country’s most pressing issue — building healthy relationships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples — are very difficult to conduct and, at times, almost impossible.

On Friday, with the arrival of an eagle, the new centre started to lift off.

The Province of Manitoba’s $20-million contribution — together with a $60 million federal government commitment in 2022 and a $5 million commitment by the Winnipeg Foundation this year – mean almost 90 per cent of the $95-million price tag for a new home has been achieved.

On land gifted by the University of Manitoba on the former Southwood golf course, the centre plans to break ground next year and open in 2029.

It will be not only a research centre but a place for artistic exhibits, indoor and outdoor ceremonies, educational programming, and community gathering.

“For the first time, all of the records of the TRC and the (centre) will be housed under one roof,” executive director Stephanie Scott said. “We will be a learning lodge.”

While the work is not quite over — around $10 million needs to be raised — a new home is in reach.

And young people are coming. The University of Manitoba recently published its enrolment numbers. This year represents the highest number of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students in history: 3,248 (a 10.7 per cent increase from 2024).

One of those is Kinew’s son, who he said started his first term a week ago.

His traditional name is familiar: One Feather, the same name as the centre.

“It’s interesting how things work out like that,” the premier said. “Every child matters.”

niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca