National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and an opportunity to reflect, learn, and understand how Canada's colonial history and policies have impacted, and continue to impact, Indigenous communities. September 30th is not just a day to wear orange, it is a day to commemorate the history and legacy of the Residential School System and to honour the resilience, dignity and strength of Survivors and intergenerational Survivors, and to remember the children who never came home. (TRCC 2015, 9)

We have put together a list of resources, articles, videos, and learnings to support your learning journey.  Please feel welcome to distribute this to anyone who may be looking for a way to honour this day, every day.

Reports:

• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
• FNHA and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report - First Nations Health Authority Support For Truth and Reconciliation Recommendations
• Calls to Action booklets published by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation  - In this booklet ($7.95), you will find the TRC’s 10 principles of Reconciliation, the 94 calls to action and the 46 articles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). These documents are instruments of Reconciliation that should be read and considered together.
• In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-Specific Racism and Discrimination in BC Health Care
• The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada: Lessons from B.C. - Yellowhead Institute

Resources and Tools:

• #Next150 Challenge "Survivor Stories" (indianhorse.ca). - Residential Schools Survivor stories are shared that can help you "make sense of what has happened in our country beyond any shadow of doubt." (from Comox Valley Arts Council website)
• Cultural Safety and Humility (fnha.ca)
• Power and Privilege in Canada by Dr Amy Tan
• Towards a New Relationship (bcasw.org) - toolkit created by the BC Association of Social Workers, aimed at Social Workers, but with general information relevant to all
• Della’s Story - A virtual escape room allows teams of people to uncover clues while discovering the story of a Sixties Scoop Survivor. The teams are positioned as junior scientists from the future that are tasked with placing memories from a Residential School Classroom, an Old Barn and an Office to unlock a final room.
• Project of Heart: Illuminating the hidden history of Indian Residential Schools in BC by the BCTF - a visual journey to support classroom teachers, post secondary and adult educators to understand and learn about the hidden history of Indian Residential Schools.

Learning Opportunities:

• Learning about Indian Residential Schools - Comox Valley Arts
• Indigenous Learning Series - CSPS (csps-efpc.gc.ca)  (Gov’t of Canada) 
• Reconciliation Education (fees associated)
• Indigenous Canada - University of Alberta 
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: A Self-Guided Journey | Human Resources Professionals Association

Books:

• 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph, et al.
• Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality by Bob Joseph with Cynthia F. Joseph
• Braiding Sweetgrass – Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Speaking My Truth | CBC Books - edited by Shelagh Rogers et al.
• The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
• Seven Fallen Feathers – Tanya Talaga
• Indigenous Writes - A Guide to First Nations, Métis, & Inuit Issues in Canada by Chelsea Vowel 

Listen:

• CharityVillage Connects podcast, episode 8: Indigenous Leaders Discuss Truth and Reconciliation in the Nonprofit Sector - upon the first anniversary of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, you can hear unique perspectives from Indigenous leaders from across Canada on what September 30 means to them, the painful legacy it symbolizes, and how, together, we can hopefully move forward.
• Why the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation isn't just another stat holiday | CBC Radio | Unreserved  - One year after the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, some wonder what the best way is to mark it and advance reconciliation.

Watch:

• Picking up the Pieces: The Making of the Witness Blanket
• Phyllis’ story – The history of Orange Shirt Day
• National Film Board – Orange Shirt Day – A collection of films and shorts.