September 30th has been declared Truth and Reconciliation Day annually in Canada, in recognition of the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and well being, and as an affirmation of our commitment to ensure that everyone around us matters. It is a day to listen, learn, and celebrate Indigenous cultures, strength, and resiliency. This year we are celebrating it on September 29th, in schools.
For additional information check out some of the following sites:
- A History of Residential Schools in Canada
- Where are the Children – Healing the impacts of Residential Schools
- UBC – The Residential School System
- Do You Live Near a Residential School? CBC
- 3-minute video with an interview with Phyllis Webstad.
- Heritage Minute: The Chanie Wenjack Story
- Historica: Intergenerational Trauma
- Editorial + Podcast: Kamloops 21 – What’s Happened Since?
- Wawahte – Stories from Residential Schools
- Video by Justice Murray Sinclair called “What is Reconciliation”
- Spoken word poem about Decolonization and Reconciliation
- TED talk by Kevin Lamoureux on Reconciliation
- On Reconciliation – Short Esssay by Richard Wagamese
- The National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation (NCTR) has a free educational program (September 26th to 30th ) that is open available now for you to register to join. This year’s theme is “Remembering the Children”