Today marks the beginning of Truth and Reconciliation Week. This national educational program continues the conversation about the truths of First Nations Treaties, the Métis and Inuit Land Claims, and the legacy of the residential school system.
“This week, we will bring Indigenous voices and perspectives into the classroom. This is an opportunity to fulfill the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #62 on Education for Reconciliation, which calls for the development of an age-appropriate curriculum to involve students across the country in the Reconciliation process,” said Stephanie Scott, Executive Director of the NCTR.
This week, educators will engage their classrooms on Truth and Reconciliation as they learn first hand from Survivors, children of Survivors of residential schools, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, artists and leaders from a wide range of nations and cultures. Through age-appropriate educational resources and activities and live events, Truth and Reconciliation Week virtually brings Survivors into the classroom to continue truth-telling and to spark a national conversation about the future of Reconciliation.
Truth and Reconciliation Week dedicates a day each to Land and Treaties, Languages and Culture, Truth and Reconciliation, Orange Shirt Day and Elder-Youth Knowledge Transfer.
“Throughout 2021, the uncovering of unmarked graves in communities from British Columbia to Manitoba has caused hurt to resurface for Survivors and their families and restarted a conversation about Reconciliation for many,” said Scott. “We hope this Truth and Reconciliation Week will foster a place of understanding, resilience and connection through truth-telling.”
In honour of the 215 children whose remains were uncovered first, the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc Nation will drum for the children at 2:15 pm Pacific Time. All people on Turtle Island and around the world are invited to join Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc in marking this moment together.
On Thursday, the NCTR plans to mark Orange Shirt Day and the first statutory National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a live broadcast on the CBC, Radio-Canada and APTN at 8 p.m. local time (9 p.m. AT, 9:30 p.m. NT), as well as by lighting Turtle Island orange.
People are called on to mark the day by wearing orange and by displaying orange lights inside or outside of their homes. Communities are called on to mark the day by projecting orange onto their local landmark buildings to honour the children who came home from residential schools and those who did not.
Truth and Reconciliation Week is hosted by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), with sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and funding and support from the Government of Canada, NIB Trust, the Winnipeg Foundation and the Governments of Manitoba, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Yukon, Prince Edward Island and the Northwest Territories, Canada’s History, Historica Canada, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, the McConnell Foundation, APTN, CBC, Wapikoni & Télé-Québec, Facebook, the National Film Board of Canada, and Know History. This year’s French programming is developed in partnership with Télé-Québec and Wapikoni.
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For more information or to schedule interviews:
Laura Neidhart
media@mediastyle.ca
613-293-2446