Truth and Reconciliation Commission documents at heart of Thunder Bay discussion

Superior Morning9:49National Centre for Truth and Recondiliation

Ry Moran is the director of the Centre. He is in Thunder Bay to talk with survivors and the public about the records and documents.The new National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is in Thunder Bay Monday to consult with survivors about how records collected by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be handled.

• Digital database of residential school stories opens to the public

The centre, which opened last week in Winnipeg, at the University of Manitoba, holds a massive collection of digital documents collected by the commission, as well as statements from residential school survivors.

"We don't look at the records as being ours, we look at them as being theirs," said centre director Ry Moran.

"So we really want community members, survivors, their families to come, to learn about the centre and to feel empowered to share their guidance with us into how we should be caring for their records," he said.

The centre was established to archive documents so the history of residential schools will not be forgotten. It is also committed to ongoing research and education.

Moran said survivors are telling the centre they want their stories to be heard so Canadians can learn the history, but they also want the centre to be careful not to hurt communities in doing so.

"We've been asked to make the collection as accessible as possible ... but the collection itself is also incredibly sensitive. And we need to treat the personal information in that collection very respectfully," he said.

"We want survivors to be front and centre in that conversation in providing us with the guidance to make sure that we're doing things in the best way possible," Moran said.

The community engagement session is taking place until 4 p.m. at the Lakehead University faculty lounge. Health supports will be available and the public is welcome.