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Country’s largest residential school reopens as a museum on National Truth and Reconciliation Day

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Canada’s largest residential school reopened as a museum today in Brantford as the country marks the fifth National day for Truth and Reconciliation.

It’s been over 10 years in the making to transform the Mohawk Institute Residential School into a historic site for reflection.

The institute, also known as “The Mush Hole”, was open from 1828 to 1970 and was the oldest and longest running residential school in the country.

Around 15,000 children were forced to go here and were restricted from speaking their language, faced physical and sexual abuse and were assimilated into Euro-Canadian culture.

It’s estimated over 6,000 children died while attending these schools across the country, including 105 known deaths at the Mohawk Institute.

Now, the site is being used as a way to educate visitors, honour the children who were and continue to be affected by the schools, and foster dialogue and action.

Today also marks 10 years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission published their 94 Calls to Action.