Commemorating the 2nd National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

September 30, 2022 in Insights by Ben Borne

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One of the topics that I’ve been speaking on this fall is, “Truth & Reconciliation: Why and now what?” A question on the minds of many Canadians as they wrestle with the legacies of the Residential School system in Canada.

A repeated refrain in this discourse is the importance of education.

For this year’s National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, I’ve put together a list of resources for you to check out:

Video: 

  • First Contact is a reality-TV documentary made by APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network), that follows a group of (strongly opinionated!) folks who have had minimal exposure/interaction with Indigenous people, as they go on a month-long tour to different Indigenous communities across Canada. Two seasons, three episodes (45 min) each. (Note: you might need to sign up for a free subscription to “Lumi,” the APTN online streaming site, to watch this. But it’s worth it!).

  • nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up. An important perspective on the 2018 trial of Gerald Stanley for the 2016 shooting death of Colten Boushie. (98 min)

  • A general overview of Canada’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission, presented through some interviews with Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the TRC. (28 min)

Reading:

  • Native-Land.ca (Resource dedicated to learning about where you live)

  • Read brief biographies of key personalities involved in signing the Treaty

  • Chelsea Vowel: Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Issues in Canada (2016)

  • 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act (2018)

  • Indigenomics (2022)

Check out goodminds.com for more great resources from this Indigenous-owned bookstore!

Podcasts:
This year, I am highly recommending the Indigenous 150+ podcast series. If you’re already a listener, feel free to choose from the list below!

Others to listen to include:

  • Twisted Histories – CBC Podcasts, hosted by Kaniehtiio Horn

  • Reconcile: Everyday Conversations – MCC Saskatchewan, hosted by Heather Peters & Ben Borne
    • Season One features non-Indigenous voices; Season Two features Indigenous voices

  • Residential Schools, Historica Canada, hosted by Shaeneen Robinson-Desjarlais

I hope you can set time aside this year to learn, understand and act in response to the TRC Calls to Action!

Sincerely,

Ben Borne, CMP