(Ottawa, ON) – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde says thoughtful dialogue is the way through the frustration and anger many are feeling after the revelations of the past few weeks related to recoveries at residential school sites across the country.
stand the frustration and anger many are feeling after the revelations of the past few weeks have laid bare the miseries of the Residential School system. These are tragedies of an almost unimaginable nature for most Canadians. We need to understand what happened and learn to speak openly about it. Destroying property will “As a Cree leader whose not help us build the peacefather and grandfather and ful, better and accepting several more family memCanada we all want and bers attended Indian Residential Schools, I fully under- need. I believe in processes
that unite rather than divide. Violence must be replaced by turning to ceremony and all that our old people taught us about peaceful coexistence and mutual respect. Thoughtful dialogue not destruction is the way through this.”
da. Follow AFN on Twitter @AFN_Updates. ―30― For more information please contact:
Kelly Reid Communications Officer Assembly of First Nations 613-292-0857 (mobile) The National Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is kreid@afn.ca available for support: 1-866- Lori Kittelberg 925-4419. Communications Officer The AFN is the national or- Assembly of First Nations ganization representing First 604-340-3117 (mobile) lkittelberg@afn.ca Nations people in Cana-
