National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Gathering and Workshops

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Gathering Postcard. Select the Postcard to Enlarge.

For the past several years, there has been a memorial at Derek Doubleday Arboretum to learn about and honour those who survived and those who did not due to the horrors of the residential school system in Canada. It was also an opportunity to recommit to reconciliation.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is this Saturday, and there will be a gathering at Derek Doubleday Arboretum.

From 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm, a guided activity will help you reflect on the past and commit to working toward reconciliation.

From 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, there will be speakers, drumming and a candlelight walk to honour the children sent to residential school.

One of the keys to moving toward reconciliation is education. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is putting on “lunch and learn” sessions this week, which you can participate in live or view later.

Topics include:

Monday, September 25: Indigenous peoples and the History of Residential Schools, hosted by Brenda Gunn with Crystal Fraser and Tagaaq Maata E-Palmer.

Tuesday, September 26: Unconscious bias and debunking stereotypes, hosted by Kaila Johnston with Dr. Cary Miller and Jesse Wente.

Wednesday, September 27: Intergenerational impacts and ongoing systemic discrimination, hosted by Sandra Bender with Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux and Christa Big Canoe.

Thursday, September 28: Indigenous peoples’ rights and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, hosted by Kaila Johnston with Brenda Gunn.

Friday, September 29: Taking action toward reconciliation, hosted by Kaila Johnston with Jimmy Durocher and Dale LeClair.

Please visit the Truth and Reconciliation Week 2023 Public Lunch and Learns Eventbrite page to learn more.