Beyond NDTR: ReconciliACTion
We wore our orange shirts, now what?
Now that we’ve observed the very first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and people are starting to learn truths about Indian Residential Schools and the colonization of Canada, we must continue to keep these truths at the forefront of our minds, and strive to make space for Indigenous voices and perspectives across the institution year-round.
It is crucial that we stay engaged in Reconciliation work at Western University, and interrogate the systems and structures that perpetuate settler-colonialism within this institution.
On September 22, 2021, Western’s Indigenous Learning Circle, Biindigen, hosted a session on ReconciliACTion, encouraging participants to reflect critically upon their roles and responsibilities in Reconciliation. We drew key themes from this Padlet activity, to create an infographic.
Take a look below and see what you can get started on right away. Below the infographic you will find a link to TRC Report reading sessions hosted by the Centre for Sustainable Curating in the Department of Visual Arts in collaboration with the Theatre Studies at Western and as well as other resource, book, podcast and video recommendations.
Read:
- - Western's Indigenous Strategic Plan Progress Report
- - The Yellowhead Institute's "Resources for Truth & Restitution"
- - The CBC's Beyond 94 Resource
- - apihtawikosisan: Indigenous Issues 101
The TRC Report
The postdoctoral fellows at the Centre for Sustainable Curating in the Department of Visual Arts in collaboration with the Theatre Studies at Western program invite you to join us in a durational reading of the executive summary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report (TRC), part of an initiative by the Canadian Association for Theatre Research. Read more here.
Register here.
Indigenous Intergenerational Resilience: Confronting Cultural & Ecological Crisis
This recently published book by Maori scholar Lewis Williams, Associate Professor, Indigenous Studies and Geography at Western "argues that there is a need to develop greater Indigenous-led intergenerational resilience in order to meet the challenges posed by contemporary crises of climate change, cultural clashes and adversity."
Download the book here.
Listen:
- - OII's Mbwaach'idiwag Podcast
- - Historica Canada Residential Schools Podcast
- - Canadaland: Residential Schools (Ryan McMahon & Chelsea Vowel)
- - All of it: Connie Walker on Residential Schools
- - Porcupine Podcast: Finding Healing after Surviving Residential Schools with George Tuccaro
Watch:
- - Our Healing Journey
(Two parts – Youtube; Chippewas of the Thames First Nation) - - We Were Children (NFB)
- - Indian Horse
- - Our People Will be Healed (NFB)
- - Namwayut: We are all One, Truth and Reconciliation in Canada (CBC Animation, Chief Robert Joseph)
- - Gord Downie’s The Secret Path + Panel (CBC Arts)
- - Canada’s Dark Secret (Al Jazeera English)
- - My Auntie Survived Residential School (Sarain Fox, CBC Docs)
- - Murray Sinclair’s Statement on Kamloops discoveries (CBC)
Sign Up:
- - Sign up for the Office of Indigenous Initiatives' Newsletter
- - Sign up for Biindigen: Western's Indigenous Learning Circle
- - Follow us on Facebook for Indigenous Voices events
- - Sign Up for The Path by NVision
