TRC National Research Centre warned of challenges

Justice Murray Sinclair

As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission forum aimed at creating a National Research Centre to contain a historical record of abuses at residential schools got underway March 1 in Vancouver, speakers from countries with similar projects warned of obstacles to the project like obtaining funding and government records.
"These archives," said Tom Adami, chief archivist and records manager of atrocities in the Sudan, "are terrible gifts to humanity." Nevertheless, he added, the testimonies of survivors "provide inspiration for a whole nation."
Speakers also stressed that, beyond truth and reconciliation, there must be justice for those who have suffered abuse.
TRC commissioner Justice Murray Sinclair told the 500 forum attendees that it will take extremely precise planning to do justice for those who suffered under the residential schools system.