As stewards of the largest collection of pre-Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) Oral Testimonies by Survivors in Canada, we are often asked if we can pass along letters to Survivors from the public. These letters are often written by students or members of the public who are learning about the Residential Schools System and other acts of colonial oppression for the first time. These learners are moved by the Testimonies that they have witnessed and are often inspired to reach out to Survivors to express an outpouring of emotion, concern and compassion.

As guardians of these Testimonies, we also have an obligation to the people who have so generously shared their experiences, their pain, and their triumphs so that all Canadians can learn and build a greater understanding of this country's true history while not adding to their prior trauma.

We thought long and hard about our stewardship responsibilities and how it might be triggering for a Survivor to receive an envelope full of letters in the mail, no matter how good the intentions or how positive the sentiment. We decided that the best way to share these messages with Survivors is through this webpage.

Please click on the links below to read the letters that we have received addressed to Survivors.

If you would like to organize a group to write letters or would like to send your own, please submit them to: info@legacyofhope.ca We thank you for your ongoing support and willingness to work together to foster Reconciliation in Canada.