A MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION ON CANADA DAY TO OUR VETERANS AND OTHERS IN LIGHT OF THE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL REVELATIONS
PRESENTED AT THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION, 01 JULY 2021.[1]
In the Alberni Valley
today we would like to acknowledge Winston Joseph, who has passed on since the previous
Canada Day. He was the driving force behind our community's Canada Day
activities for many years.
Canada Day is very
important to our veterans as they offered up their lives and many of them laid
down their lives for Canada and for all of us.
Today we are gathering to remember Canada and, as
always at the Legion, those who have lived, fought and died
for Canada and for our future. One of the many brave people from this
area who offered their lives up for the future of others was Edward
John Clutesi of the Tseshaht Nation. (Our community is
on the un-ceded territories of the Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations)
Today, heavy on our hearts is the
tragedy of the horrors of the residential schools and those who
suffered and even lost their lives, across this country and even in our
community. This is why I am wearing this pin in the shape of
the orange ribbon on my uniform today. Every child matters.
Our veterans fought for a brave new world. It was
hoped that the First World War would be the war to end all wars. It
wasn’t. After the Second World War one amazing
thing did happen though and that was we were reconciled with old
foes: Germany, Japan, and Italy are now some of our closest allies,
trading partners and friends.
Many people passed before they could see the
culmination of those wars and that reconciliation. Today in Canada we
do have heavy hearts remembering the residential schools and today we
have grateful hearts for all of those who died for us – including
Edward John Clutesi.
Reading from Hebrews 11:16, the verse on the Order of
Canada: "But they now desire a better country, that is an heavenly,
wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for He has prepared for
them."
Today We are hoping now that we will all
commit to and be a part of the inauguration of a new era of
reconciliation and healing in our nation and in our
community in our people and in ourselves. May there be peace in our time
and may there be peace in our hearts.
Let us pray:
Eternal God, we thank you for the peace we enjoy and for the opportunity that is ours of building a better order of society in this Canada for the generations still to come. Amen.
[1] This was presented after conversations with the current and previous Chief Councillor of the Tseshaht First Nation. The current Chief Councilor was unable to attend as he was out of town but committed to send a member of the council to be present.
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