Commentary
On April 1, a new website was launched by the Indian Residential Schools Research Group (irsrg.ca) whose mission is to share with the public historical materials concerning the residential-school system, materials that uphold “the highest standards of research, evidence, and logic in the pursuit of the truth, wherever that may lead. Most importantly, we believe only through truth can there be reconciliation.”
The IRSRG principals—lifetime scholars in the field—are aware that the site will be considered controversial in the present environment. Under the site tab, “Misconceptions,” for example, the visitor finds statements most Canadians believe to be true, but are inaccurate: that, for example, “The residential schools were responsible for a higher rate of disease and death among First Nations children”; and “The Indian Residential School system was a tool to commit Cultural Genocide.” Each statement is rebutted with objective evidence….