National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day for all Canadians to commemorate the history and legacy of the residential school system.
It’s a day to honour the resilience, dignity and strength of survivors and intergenerational survivors and remember the children who never came home. It’s a chance to engage and educate people about B.C.’s colonial history and how it has and continues to impact Indigenous communities.1
Education and storytelling are pivotal on the journey towards genuine Reconciliation. My understanding of what it means to be Indigenous in Canada is different than the descendants of European settlers and different again from those who are visibly Indigenous, since I am mixed and white presenting. My grandmothers were enfranchised Indigenous women. I never knew what that was until two years ago. At that time I took an online course about Indigenous history in Canada and I learned for the first time about enfranchised Indigenous women. I learned about many parts of my own history that were never taught to me with honesty.
My understanding of my own Indigenous ancestry mostly came from very biased and inaccurate education at a school that taught me about assimilation or by hearing what other people had to say about Indigenous people. There was so much misinformation and, as a white presenting person, I got to hear it firsthand from people who didn’t realize that these inaccurate and negative things that they were saying were also about me and my family.
As I think about what Truth and Reconciliation means to me ahead of September 30th, I think about the history that I learned in that course, that had never really been taught to me before. I think about the Indigenous people that had a very different experience than I did and their stories. I’ve known people who had been sent to residential schools as small children and I was fortunate enough that they shared their stories with me, so I could hear the truth about their experiences from them in their own words. Listening to Indigenous voices along with education is the path forward to genuine reconciliation and education.
Lana Love – BC Tradeswomen Society Director at Large
This October 30th marks the 10th anniversary of Orange Shirt Day in BC which is now also recognized as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
You can find an introduction to Phyllis (Jack) Webstad and her story: her journey to residential school survivor and community leader at Orange Shirt Society.
The orange shirt has become a symbol of hope, reconciliation and a commitment to a better future. By wearing an orange shirt on September 30th, you make a statement to support reconciliation and commit to the enduring truth that EVERY CHILD MATTERS
Orange Shirt Society
To further your education and continue working towards genuine reconciliation here are a list of resources and courses.
Orange Shirt Society
Growing awareness of the individual, family and community intergenerational impacts of Residential Schools. At OSS, we believe you can support Reconciliation every day, in your own way.
https://orangeshirtday.org/
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS) is a provincial organization that provides essential services to residential school survivors and families experiencing intergenerational trauma. We have been supporting Indigenous people since 1994.
https://www.irsss.ca/
First Nations University of Canada – Invitation to Learn: 4 Seasons of Reconciliation
First Nations University of Canada and Reconciliation Education are pleased to welcome you to learn from the various Indigenous contributors involved in the creation of 4 Seasons of Reconciliation. This self-paced online program offers 10 modules on truth and reconciliation, which is available to all Canadians. Upon completion of the online course, you will be awarded a “Certificate of Completion” issued by First Nations University of Canada. These resources are the result of many years of work and much careful thought – ayâkwâmisiwin (in Cree).
https://www.reconciliationeducation-course.ca/
It’s Our Time: The AFN Education Toolkit
The Assembly of First Nations Toolkit consists of 22 learning modules that have been designed to enhance the understanding of important First Nations topics to ensure both students and teachers are learning in and out of the classroom.
This course promotes an increased understanding of Indigenous people and their place and space in Canada, past and present. Words like Reconciliation and Indigenization are becoming common place and are often followed by questions such as, “What do these words mean? Why do we have to do this? How come I didn’t know about Residential Schools?”. The course will provide you with foundational knowledge of Indigenous people in the hopes that as the true history and contemporary reality of Indigenous people is more broadly known, Reconciliation can begin.
https://education.afn.ca/afntoolkit/
BC Institute of Technology – Indigenous Awareness
This course promotes an increased understanding of Indigenous people and their place and space in Canada, past and present. Words like Reconciliation and Indigenization are becoming common place and are often followed by questions such as, “What do these words mean? Why do we have to do this? How come I didn’t know about Residential Schools?”. The course will provide you with foundational knowledge of Indigenous people in the hopes that as the true history and contemporary reality of Indigenous people is more broadly known, Reconciliation can begin.
https://www.bcit.ca/courses/indigenous-awareness-mooc-0200/
University of British Columbia – Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education
This course will help you envision how Indigenous histories, perspectives, worldviews, and approaches to learning can be made part of the work we do in classrooms, organizations, communities, and our everyday experiences in ways that are thoughtful and respectful. In this course, reconciliation emphasizes changing institutional structures, practices, and policies, as well as personal and professional ideologies to create environments that are committed to strengthening our relationships with Indigenous peoples.
https://www.edx.org/learn/education/university-of-british-columbia-reconciliation-through-indigenous-education
University of Toronto – Aboriginal Worldviews and Education
Intended for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal learners, this course will explore indigenous ways of knowing and how they can benefit all students. Topics include historical, social, and political issues in Aboriginal education; terminology; cultural, spiritual and philosophical themes in Aboriginal worldviews; and how Aboriginal worldviews can inform professional programs and practices, including but not limited to the field of education.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/aboriginal-education
University of Alberta – Indigenous Canada
Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores the different histories and contemporary perspectives of Indigenous peoples living in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores complex experiences Indigenous peoples face today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations. Topics for the 12 lessons include the fur trade and other exchange relationships, land claims and environmental impacts, legal systems and rights, political conflicts and alliances, Indigenous political activism, and contemporary Indigenous life, art and its expressions.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/indigenous-canada
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
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