The fate of sensitive documents is being hotly debated among residential school survivors.
Over 40,000 survivors have shared their stories with Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission as part of their healing journey.
The fate of whether these stories can be shared publicly will be heard at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto July 14-17.
The TRC is asking that the documents be given to the National Research Centre in Winnipeg.
Saskatoon lawyer and Chief Adjudicator for the Independent Assessment Process Dan Shapiro says the documents should be destroyed.
“There’s suggestions that if those records are destroyed that will destroy history,” he says. “A – I don’t believe that’s the case. I think people will have the right to share their own truth in their own time, with their consent to an archive and the TRC is available to do that. It is the forced sharing of information I object to and that’s why we are taking this position before the court.”
Another option that will be argued in court is for the documents be kept and sealed for 20 years before being released.