One by one, students filed onto a stage at St. Thomas University and read the 94 calls to action made by Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The recommendations are aimed at redressing the dark legacy of Canada's residential school school system for Aboriginal children.

The weight of the calls read out loud by students on Monday, were accompanied by video testimony of residential school survivors.

​"It's ironic that education started this issue and education has a chance to play a key role in reconciliation," said Jeffrey Carleton, a spokesperson for St. Thomas University.

"They specifically asked universities to answer the calls or look at the recommendations to see how they could change curriculum."

Under Canada's residential school system, children from Indigenous communities were placed in government boarding schools, where an estimated 3,200 died from tuberculosis, malnutrition and other diseases from poor living conditions.

Within the schools, Indigenous children were also physically, sexually and emotionally abused.

Calls to action

The TRC called on Canadian journalism schools to educate their journalism and media students about Indigenous issues. (CBC Unreserved)

The commission made multiple calls to action regarding education, but No. 62 and No. 86 specifically ask that post–secondary institutions educate teachers on Indigenous history. It also asks media schools to ensure journalism students have working knowledge of Indigenous history, treaties and residential schools.

Carleton said the university senate, the institution's highest academic body, will be tasked with ensuring the university is following the calls to action.

"What we're doing, trying to do as a university, is align ourselves up with that, take a look at the TRC and see what their specific challenges are and see what we can do to respond," said Carleton.

94 readings

David Coon, Green Party Leader of New Brunswick says the provincial government needs to prioritize the TRC calls to action. (CBC)

The readings of the calls to action took place within a dedicated room for Indigenous smudging, a Mawi Art exhibit, prayers from Miigam'agan, an elder–in–residence, and traditional Indigenous music.

David Coon, the MLA for Fredericton South, was in the crowd of about 100 people and said he was moved by the event.

"It was remarkable to hear the calls to action read out loud as they were projected," said Coon. "I've read through them twice now and they didn't have the impact on me as they did [Monday] night."

Coon said three of the calls to action that really struck a chord with him were the calls to tackle the over–representation of Indigenous people in the Canadian justice system, the calls for Indigenous education in universities and schools, and a call to have a monument in each capital city so the dark legacy of residential schools is never forgotten.

"Those calls to action which the province here in New Brunswick needs to be acting upon and therefore I certainly will be pursuing the government on this in the legislature, as is my job," said Coon.

Education in TRC

An Indigenous art exhibit by the Mawi'art was also part of the reading. (Oscar Baker III )

Carleton said the university is planning movies, lectures and an academic conference to see how to Indigenize the curriculum. But he said the groundwork of having a Native Studies program, an Aboriginal resource centre on campus, and having emeritus professor Andrea Bear Nicholas working to revive the Maliseet language, shows the university's commitment.

Coon said educating public schools and universities should be top of mind for the province.

"Education around this is critical, to have the universities fully engaged in Indigenization for example is vital to create the environment for all the students and faculty that it is appropriately the reality of First Nations in our region," said Coon.

Coon said he'll be looking to remind the provincial government of its duty to follow the calls to action.

Carleton said keeping the calls to action on top of everyone's agenda is one of the challenges universities will be facing.

"I don't think there's any other school that will not have those same sorts of challenges," said Carleton.

He said the university has a lot of people that will be applying a critical approach to the calls, but he's hopeful the changes are long lasting and deep.