National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

South East Sport, Culture & Recreation District will be closed on September 30th in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This date coincides with Orange Shirt Day and is intended to provide Canadians with an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools, and to honour their survivors, their families and communities.

We encourage you to take some time to reflect on the tragic impact of residential schools, or to celebrate the resiliency in our communities by participating in community or virtual events that focus on understanding. Education is foundational to understanding our role as Canadians and our role in reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous peoples. As Murray Sinclair has said, “Education is what got us here, and Education is what will get us out.”

To build awareness, we have compiled a list of “reads and resources” that are recommended by the Office of the Treaty Commissioner. Through the last week in September, the South East District board and staff team is taking the time to learn.

We will be sharing online and in-person activities that you can participate in to support reconciliation on September 30th. Follow our Facebook and Instagram for updates and opportunities for you, your family, and your colleagues to further your allyship with Indigenous Peoples.

Resources

BACKGROUND

• UN - Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Voices Factsheet
• Treaty Talk - An Educational Tool for Schools and Communities
• Saskatchewan Treaty Maps by Country Fare (available to order)
• Whose Land app
• The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
  

EDUCATION LINKS

• iPortal Usask
• Supporting Reconciliation in Saskatchewan Schools
• Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Secret Path Learning Resources
• Kids Stop - Indigenous and Northerns Affairs Canada
• Treaty Education Learning Resource, Saskatchewan's Ministry of Education
• Nelson Educators: Under One Sun
   

RECONCILIATION

• I am the Bridge: Anti-Racism Education
• Ayisinowak: A Communications Guide
• Truth and Reconciliation Commissions Final Reports and Calls to Action document
• Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
• Land Claims Agreements Coalition 
• Treaty Land Sharing Network
  
• Truth and Reconciliation Fund

GOOD READS

• One Book One Province
• Saskatoon Public Library - Read for Reconciliation Reading List
• OTC Recommended Readings on Residential Schools

FILMS AND VIDEOS

Watch and listen to the following videos and audio recordings, linked in the document.

• Every Child Matters: Reconciliation Through Education
• Two-Spirit Reconciliation
• Nothing For Us Without Us
• Practicing Active Allyship in the TRC’s Calls to Action
• Murray Sinclair: Importance of Truth and Reconciliation

Take some time and Google 'Residential School Survivor Videos.' You will hear first-hand stories of their experiences and gain a better understanding of the inter-generational trauma that resulted from these schools. As has been said, "if there is to be reconciliation, first there must be truth."

ONLINE COURSES

Indigenous Canada - 12 lessons online course from U of A (Free)

4 Seasons of Reconciliation - First Nations University of Canada – Individual or Organization purchase available.

NEWSLETTERS

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation - scroll partway down the home page to sign up.