‘Committed to doing the difficult work’ – Social Work responds to Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action 71-76
Recently, Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner Marie Wilson called the use of ground penetrating radar to locate the bodies of 215 children on the grounds of a residential school a “validation.” She added, “I don’t use the word discovery because we’ve known about this for some time now” (Front Burner). The TRC reports have already established that there were far more physical deaths at residential schools than were recorded. While the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba is heartbroken by the validation that had to be so hard-won by the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation, we are not surprised.