Growing up in southern Manitoba, my siblings and me had no idea there was a large Indian Residential School at the north end of our town...it was never talked about until my sister and I were in grade 9 or 10 when the Residential School was closed and only a few of the indigenous students continued their education in the public schools.  What was done to these children and their families was and is, a black stain on our governments of the time and on the religions that carried out the attempted obliteration of Indigenous peoples earth-centered ideals.  Gord Downie is not alone shining a bright light of hope for the peoples who were here first - whose birthday on July 1st is centuries older than the paltry 150 years of celebrating - for what?