By Crystal Greene, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews Outside a Winnipeg bookstore, about 25 volunteers in orange shirts formed a welcoming line as sage smoke rose from an abalone shell. Inside McNally Robinson Booksellers, more than 300 people gathered for the launch of Truth Before Reconciliation: Confronting Residential School Denialism. Outside, the volunteers helped provide security as organizers anticipated denialists might try to disrupt the event on September 17. “We want to make sure that it’s safe for the survivors,” said Emma Tardiff, one of the volunteers. “I really care about my community.” Published by University of Manitoba Press ahead of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the collection grew from an effort by scholars and authors to confront the denial and downplaying of what survivors experienced. The book consists…







