With the announcement from Ottawa that the residential school system will be recognized as a national event, MKO says it welcomes the designation.

Grand Chief Garrison Settee says residential schools are a painful legacy for Indigenous people in Canada, and that MKO acknowledges the pain these schools have caused for many of its citizens.

Settee explains the announcement of designating two former residential schools, including the Portage la Prairie Indian Residential School in Manitoba, as historical sites should help newcomers and Canadian citizens of all ages and backgrounds to learn about the impacts residential schools have had in the country.

He goes on to say that more work has to be done to help those affected heal from the intergenerational effects of the residential school system, and MKO is pleased that the federal government is committed carrying out the calls to actions developed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.