Statement of the Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s National Event in Saskatchewan, June 2012
Saturday, June 23 2012
The Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council (CCAC) is composed of Aboriginal Canadians representing the different regions in Canada, some of whom attended residential schools, as well as two Catholic Bishops. It was established in 1998 by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and serves to advise and assist the CCCB on issues concerning Aboriginal Peoples in Canada and to support and encourage efforts by the CCCB and the individual Bishops of Canada toward reconciliation between the Catholic Church and Aboriginal communities.
Today, representatives of the CCAC are participating in the National Event in Saskatoon to demonstrate their support for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The CCAC appreciates the work of the TRC and its mandate to bring out to all Canadians the collective truth regarding the treatment of residential school students by recording their stories, giving them a voice to speak for those who cannot, and creating room for an oral history – the history of Canada’s First Nations People, of which all Canadians must now become aware.
The CCAC believes in the TRC’s potential to assist in bringing about deeply needed healing and reconciliation especially between the Church and Aboriginal Peoples. We are here to be with all of you and to listen to your stories. We hope that our presence today will be a sign of our commitment to you, and to all of our Peoples, and our belief in the power and healing of reconciliation.