URFA honours National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 27, 2021

Sep­tem­ber 30 is Canada’s first Nation­al Day for Truth and Rec­on­cil­i­a­tion. This day is one way to hon­our res­i­den­tial school sur­vivors, encour­age learn­ing about the atroc­i­ties of the res­i­den­tial school sys­tems, and prompt reflec­tion on how each of us can engage in rec­on­cil­i­a­tion to cre­ate a bet­ter future. 

There are no words to ade­quate­ly describe the suf­fer­ing and trau­ma that Indige­nous chil­dren, their rel­a­tives and their com­mu­ni­ties expe­ri­enced through Canada’s cul­tur­al geno­cide. While the res­i­den­tial school sys­tem no longer oper­ates, the real­i­ty is that racism and dis­crim­i­na­tion are still exhib­it­ed towards Indige­nous Peo­ples in mul­ti­fac­eted ways. 

Our vision at URFA is that URFA mem­bers are diverse, engaged and secure in their employ­ment and phys­i­cal, men­tal, spir­i­tu­al and emo­tion­al health. In an envi­ron­ment of aca­d­e­m­ic free­dom, free­dom of expres­sion, col­le­gial­i­ty and respect, they dri­ve a cul­ture of teach­ing, research and com­mu­ni­ty engage­ment that makes the world a bet­ter place. Our office is rec­og­niz­ing this day as a statu­to­ry hol­i­day and we affirm the Uni­ver­si­ty of Regina’s deci­sion to do so as well.

One of the ways we can bring our vision to life is to stand in sol­i­dar­i­ty with Indige­nous Peo­ples. Words can be pow­er­ful and clear ways to demon­strate our sup­port for Indige­nous Peo­ples and when we find ways to demon­strate our sup­port through action, we will see tan­gi­ble, pos­i­tive changes that will make the world better. 

We’ve com­piled a num­ber of sug­gest­ed action items for all of us to learn about, and reflect on, rec­on­cil­i­a­tion and res­i­den­tial schools. Togeth­er, we can each con­tribute to rec­on­cil­i­a­tion and build a soci­ety where Indige­nous Peo­ples are val­ued, respect­ed and honoured.

Dis­cov­er

• Was there a res­i­den­tial school near where you live? Find out on this inter­ac­tive map.
• Explore the Lega­cy of Hope Foun­da­tion web­site, which shares sto­ries from res­i­den­tial school survivors.
• Dis­cov­er the Vision of Rec­on­cil­i­a­tion in Saskatchewan and iden­ti­fy one tan­gi­ble way that you can take per­son­al respon­si­bil­i­ty for rec­on­cil­i­a­tion in your com­mu­ni­ty and workplace.
• Look at the Office of the Treaty Com­mis­sion­er in Saskatchewan’s rec­on­cil­i­a­tion resources and sign-up for their e‑newsletter.

Offer finan­cial support

• Make a dona­tion to an Indige­nous-led char­i­ta­ble orga­ni­za­tion, such as the Lega­cy of Hope Foun­da­tion.
• Refer to, and sup­port, Indige­nous busi­ness­es and ser­vices.
• Get to know and sup­port Indige­nous artists, cre­ators, authors and producers.

Read

• Review the Truth and Rec­on­cil­i­a­tion Com­mis­sion of Canada’s Calls to Action, focus­ing on the Edu­ca­tion sec­tion. Iden­ti­fy one tan­gi­ble way that you can incor­po­rate one or more of the calls into your work.
• Pick up and read the book Sto­ry­ing vio­lence: Unrav­el­ling colo­nial nar­ra­tives in the Stan­ley Tri­al by Gina Star­blan­ket and Dal­las Hunt.
• Read the arti­cle Indi­g­e­niz­ing the acad­e­my / Five years after the Truth and Rec­on­cil­i­a­tion Com­mis­sion by the Cana­di­an Asso­ci­a­tion of Uni­ver­si­ty Teachers.
• Explore the high­light­ed reports on the Nation­al Cen­tre for Truth and Rec­on­cil­i­a­tion website.
• Read the arti­cle Truth before rec­on­cil­i­a­tion: 8 ways to iden­ti­fy and con­front res­i­den­tial school denial­ism by Daniel Heath Jus­tice and Sean Carleton. 

Show

• Wear orange as one way to vis­i­bly demon­strate your sup­port for, and sol­i­dar­i­ty with, Indige­nous Peoples.

Study

• Enroll in the Rec­on­cil­i­a­tion Edu­ca­tion course offered by First Nations Uni­ver­si­ty of Canada.
• Take the Indige­nous Cana­da course offered by the Uni­ver­si­ty of Alber­ta, which explores key issues fac­ing Indige­nous Peo­ples from an Indige­nous, his­tor­i­cal and crit­i­cal per­spec­tive high­light­ing nation­al and local Indige­nous-set­tler relations.