Royal Canadian Mint unveils keepsake to honour residential school survivors and victims, foster reconciliation

A special coin-sized keepsake has been minted in Winnipegto honourresidential school survivors and victims, and ensure Canadians never forget the intergenerational impacts of the schools.

The Royal Canadian Mint launched the new keepsake during a news conferenceThursday,ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.

The keepsake "invites reflection and conversation about the impacts of those schools, the conditions that created them, and how people living inCanadacan turn reflection into acts of reconciliation," anews release from the mint says.

Thursday's launch was held at theat theNational Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, at theUniversity of Manitoba's Fort Garry campus. The mint worked with the NCTRto create the keepsake, which isinscribed with the words "Every Child Matters" in both English and French, and was designed incollaboration with First Nations artist Leticia Spence, Inuit artist Jason Sikoak and Mtis artist JDHawk.

"September and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a moment for the country to pause, reflect, and remember the children who never came home from residential school and those still with us today," saidStephanie Scott,executive director of the NCTR.

Both sides of the keepsake feature symbolic imageryreflective of First Nations, Inuit and Mtis teachings and traditional art forms.

The side with the Every Child Matters inscription includes a pairof footprints to represent ancestors walking with younger generations. At the centre,orange-coloured handprints form the shape of the sun the life-giving source of light and heat, the mint's description says.

Within the hands is the flame motif from the NCTR logo, an acknowledgement of the spiritual flame that is born inside a person, while the hands are encircled by a border representing the radiating waves of the sun's light and heat, the mint says.

On theother side, First Nationsrights,culture and teachings are represented by symbols of water, a stylized fireweed flower, ateepee, a tikanagan (cradle board)and a triangular motif inspired byparfleche(rawhide carrying bag).

The Inuit are represented by traditional tattoo line work,northern lights,anulu(traditional curved knife), and abrother and sister representing those sent to residential schools.

TheMtisarerepresented byan infinity symbol,a beadwork flower, a traditional sash and a bisonfacing east to confront the approaching colonizers.

Eugene Arcand, a residential school survivor and Cree from the Muskeg Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, spoke at Thursday's launch. He applauded the mint for contacting the NCTR "to do things the right way" through collaboration.

"I'm very, very honoured to be part of this historic event. It is vitally, vitally important that we deal with the truth and the sad history of Canada's darkest secret," he said.

"Public education and understanding is helping fix and heal those wounds towards a life of wellness."

What the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliationhas done to raise awareness since it opened in 2015 "is beyond my dreams and beyond the dreams of my fellow survivors," Arcand said.

"We never thought we'd see what we're seeing in our lifetimes."

The keepsake is sold for $9.95 through the Royal Canadian Mint as well asparticipating Canada Post locations.

Net proceedswill be donated to the Na-mi-quai-ni-mak Community Support Fund, established by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

The keepsake "represents a past that must never be forgotten, and a better future we can all build together," a statement on the mint's website says.