Historic documents pivotal to Canada’s acknowledgment of its residential school legacy are in danger of destruction by 2027. Tiana Vrbanik and the Anishinabek Mukwa Dodem are urging the government to safeguard all records in a recent petition.
Vrbanik stressed the importance of understanding Canada’s history, emphasizing the necessity for all citizens to learn from the past. The petition seeks to prevent the loss of residential school records, ensure ongoing access for Indigenous communities and the public, and support archival initiatives.
Survivor’s secretariat Laura Arndt highlighted the harrowing stories of abuse and trauma shared by survivors. The push is for these records to be preserved in a national repository to aid in uncovering the truth and potentially identifying missing children.
Since 2009, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has gathered survivors’ testimonies. However, a court ruling mandates the destruction of these records after 15 years, putting the onus on survivors to act before September 19, 2027, to save their stories.
Vrbanik criticized the requirement for survivors to proactively request their own records, likening it to accessing medical records. The petition aims to honor survivors’ truth-telling for healing and reconciliation within families, communities, and the country.
Signatures for the petition are being collected until March 5, 2026.