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       Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 22, 2021.

       Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

       There is an “openness” to do what is necessary to support Indigenous communities seeking the truth about what happened at residential schools, so the country can move forward with reconciliation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.

       Mr. Trudeau, who was speaking outside of Rideau Cottage on Friday, said people want to properly understand what happened at the institutions.

       As documented by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the schools were government-funded, church-run operations that involved the forced removal of Indigenous children from their families, communities and culture.

       The Trudeau government is now facing calls from Indigenous experts, including former TRC chair Murray Sinclair, to ensure that the country funds an independent investigation to determine whether crimes took place at the schools.

       Bobby Cameron, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief, said Thursday that there must be an independent inquiry into what happened at the schools. The FSIN represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.

       The pressure follows revelations at two former residential schools, one in B.C. and one in Saskatchewan, of unmarked burial sites.

       Mr. Sinclair also recently told The Globe and Mail that there needs to be a determination on whether there were “cover-ups” of crimes as well. He said the investigation should not be left in the hands of the government or the churches and must instead be created in consultation with Indigenous peoples.

       In response to a question on whether the government is open to this investigation, Mr. Trudeau said Friday that Canadians are waking up to something that Indigenous peoples and those who worked closely on the TRC’s calls to action have long known.

       “Far too many kids, thousands upon thousands of kids across the country were taken from their families, from their communities, from their homes, sent to far-off residential schools, and never came home, often without information, without any details being given back to the families on what happened to their loved ones, to their children,” Mr. Trudeau said.

       He also said the TRC put forward significant calls to action that will allow for a proper understanding of what happened and will give families opportunities to grieve. In 2015, the commission released 94 calls to action for various levels of government and organizations. Last December, TRC commissioners said they were concerned about the slow and uneven pace of implementation.

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       One of the calls to action is for the Pope to issue an apology to survivors, their families and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the “spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools.” The commission also asked that the apology be delivered in Canada. Mr. Trudeau has personally called on Pope Francis to issue an apology.

       To date, the federal government has allocated $27-million, which was originally earmarked in the 2019 federal budget, for research into burial sites at former residential schools. Ottawa announced this week that FSIN would receive $4.88-million from that funding. Mr. Sinclair has said that the $27-million amount is not adequate.

       Mr. Trudeau also said Friday that Canada Day will be a time of reflection this year on what more the country has to do. He said many Canadians will be reflecting on reconciliation and the relationship with Indigenous peoples, including how it needs to evolve.

       The number for the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is 1-866-925-4419. British Columbia has a First Nations and Indigenous Crisis Line offered through the KUU-US Crisis Line Society, toll-free at 1-800-588-8717.