As said by former Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Chair, The Honorable Murray Sinclair “Education is what got us into this mess and education is key to getting us out of it.”
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th is an annual opportunity to recognize the continuous historical and current injustices indigenous communities experience all across the globe. It is a time for reflecting and learning about the profound injustices inflicted on First Nations, Inuit and the Métis Nation by the forced removal of children to attend residential schools and the widespread abuse suffered in those schools.
According to the Truth and Reconciliation report released in 2015, the creation of the Residential schools were a “systematic, government-sponsored attempt to destroy Indigenous cultures, languages, and assimilate Indigenous peoples so they no longer existed as distinct peoples.” The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation honors the generations of indigenous peoples affected by these tragic events by preserving the record of these human rights abuses, and promote continued research and learning on the legacy of residential schools. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is meant to support survivors by fostering a sense of healing and reconciliation.
The Truth and Reconciliation report calls out the historic and ongoing hatred and discrimination Indigenous communities have and continue to face. For example, the lack of reporting on the missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women, the lack of clean drinking water on reserves, and the inequitable opportunities for justice within the various oppressive systems in society. September 30th is a day to acknowledge the loss of lives due to maltreatment, systemic racism and discrimination and to raise awareness of the history and creation of the residential school system, its ongoing legacy, and how it has shaped the country we live in today.
We want to acknowledge that Prompta’s offices are located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee and the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. The territory is within the lands protected by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. On September 30th, we as settlers at Prompta will be taking some time to share and reflect on these tragedies which has encouraged us to continue building diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) competencies to support breaking through the legacy of trauma and systemic barriers that Indigenous Peoples face. We hope you join us in reflecting, learning, and supporting reconciliation.
References:
The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2015) Volume 4 Canada’s Residential Schools: Missing Children and Unmarked Burials http://www.trc.ca/assets/pdf/Volume_4_Missing_Children_English_Web.pdf
National Center for Truth and Reconciliation – University of Manitoba
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