Residents and visitors to the traditional, unceded territories of the Semiahmoo First Nation and the broader territory of the Coast Salish People marked the third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Saturday, Sept. 30.
Hosted by the SFN and cities of White Rock and Surrey, the day kicked off with a walk from Grand Chief Bernard Robert Charles Memorial Plaza to Semiahmoo Park. At the park, speeches and presentations took place on the Spirit Stage.
Youth dancers, drumming groups and storytelling were shared with the crowd by the Semiahma, with a kids zone, bannock and an artisan market available for people to peruse.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day is a time for settlers to acknowledge Indigenous history and honour those who attended Canada’s residential school system. The system ran for more than 150 years, during which time Indigenous children were taken away from their families in an attempt to assimilate them into mainstream Canadian society.
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