Mixed reaction about potential destruction of almost 40k residential school records

CALGARY — On Truth and Reconciliation Day, the topic of residential schools is as relevant as ever, but the Supreme Court's 2017 ruling that close to 40,000 records of residential school testimonies should be destroyed is a topic of contention in indigenous communities.Speaking to the CBC, Geraldine Shingoose, a Saulteaux Elder who attended Muskowekwan Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan from 1962 to 1971, says that her testimony of her experience may be forgotten as a result of the court's decision."I was thinking, that’s my story, it was like, they’re getting rid of my truth."Shingoose testified about her experience at the residential school during the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) as a part of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.Shingoose believes that the decision of the Supreme Court may destroy stories similar to hers that may help shine a brighter light into what occured inside the residential school system. She noted that it was "almost like my story doesn’t mean anything. Like it’s not worthy, or important to Canada.".RUBENSTEIN: The 100,000-page barrier to ‘Truth and Reconciliation’.However, there have been mixed opinions within the indigenous community about this decision, with some, like former Assembly of First Nations national chief Phil Fontaine, saying that his testimony should be his alone to know.Despite giving his testimony during the same IAP, Fontaine has never publicly talked about or disclosed the details of his own experiences in the residential school system.Writing about why this is his feeling, Fontaine said that it was because "I consider my story to be private," and that publicizing what he experienced would only serve to do more harm to his community."Within our communities, such knowledge even in future generations would continue the legacy of dysfunction and trauma that was created by the residential school."The decision of the Supreme Court reflects Fontaine's feelings more than Shingoose's, but, as the court acknowledged, "a perfect outcome here is, in these circumstances, simply not possible.".The decision to air on the side of confidentiality was decided as those who wanted to tell their story publicly could, but those who wanted to remain confidential should not have their story told without their consent.During the IAP hearings, those who testified were promised confidentiality; to go back on this, the court argues, would be a massive breach of the previously established promise.The IAP also stated that those who wanted to retrieve their testimonies before the scheduled destruction in 2017 would have the option to do so.Despite this, according to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, less than 100 of the 38,000 IAP claimants have requested their records to be retrieved.Shingoose was one of those who decided to retrieve her testimony, but, given the small percentage that did opt to retrieve their testimonies, it seems that many may simply want their story to remain private.

Mixed reaction about potential destruction of almost 40k residential school records

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