Nova Scotia high school students commemorate victims of residential institutions

The students gathered around a weeping willow tree, which they had planted earlier in the year to pay their respects, and stood in a moment of silence.

A group of students dubbed “Cheetahs For Change” at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, N.S., engaged in difficult yet meaningful conversations about Truth and Reconciliation on Wednesday.

It’s a topic that many of them have only heard about in recent years.

Nathan Chao says he was encouraged to be around people who are like-minded and passionate about creating change.

“During the conversations that we’ve had, I changed my opinions a couple of times. I’ve changed my view ’cause I learned, ‘Oh, I didn’t know this. This person is bringing new light to this topic I didn’t know.’ I got to work to understand it better than before,” he said.

The club had invited members of their student council to attend a small ceremony hosted outside to commemorate the lives lost in the residential school system. The event was held on the eve of the first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

“Our message for today was just spreading a little bit of awareness and hopefully making everybody feel a little more comfortable talking about the situation,” said Grade 12 student Cameron Brown.

The students gathered around a weeping willow tree, which they had planted earlier in the year to pay their respects, and stood in a moment of silence.

The members of the group said the tree represents Mother Earth weeping for her lost children.