Canada History Week 2021: Indigenous History Learning Tool

RECONCILIATION

As the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) says, “there has to be awareness of the past, an acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour.” The term ‘reconciliation’ has come to describe attempts made by individuals and institutions to raise awareness about colonization and its ongoing effects on Indigenous peoples. In Canada, the process of reconciliation is tied to the federal and provincial governments’

What do Canadians think should be prioritized when it comes to improving relations with Indigenous peoples?

The Association for Canadian Studies asked Leger Marketing to put out an open question to Canadians around reconciliation to determine what we see as priorities. While one in five Canadians say that they don’t know what the priority should be, the responses that came up most frequently are acknowledging past errors, providing clean water, and fighting discrimination. Read the results of the survey here.

relationships with Indigenous peoples. Reconciliation also refers to efforts made to address the damages caused by various policies and programs of colonization, such as residential schools. Read more about Reconciliation in Canada.

• Read the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action, which offer specific ways that Canadian society can help make amends for the injustices experienced by Indigenous peoples.

• Visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website to learn more about the TRC and access resources.

AGOWIGIIWINAN BEZHIG MINAWAA NIIZHIN

Wabi Benais Mistatim Equay (Cynthia Bird) from Peguis First Nation reminds us that commemorating the 150th anniversary of Treaties 1 and 2 gives us all an opportunity to honour our ancestors’ sacred promises to live in peace and share the bounty of the land.

The Winnipeg public art sculpture Mediating the Treaties by Rolande Souliere. Courtesy Winnipeg Arts Council.

Teepee erected on Parliament Hill by members of the Blinding Light Walk - Tiger Lily movement, August 2021 (Dreamstime.com/Paul Mckinnon/227888097).

How can settlers, including newcomers, contribute to reconciliation?

For inspiration, read Dr. Crystal Gail Fraser and Dr. Sara Komarnisky’s “150 Acts of Reconciliation.” 10