Take a moment to learn and reflect on July 1
As we prepare to close for July 1, our friends at Nukskahtowin (Meeting Place) would like to share this message and encourage Canadians to use this time for learning and reflection.
While we grapple with our personal feelings and ask questions about how horrific events such as the burial of Indigenous children in unmarked gravesites could have occurred and gone unnoticed, we are reminded of what it means to be human.
We have survived a pandemic that has taught us that family and friends are the most important things in our lives. We cannot fathom or comprehend that very young Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their families, some never returning to them.
We must now acknowledge that this occurred on this land. Now is a time for reflection and to ask ourselves what can be done to prevent this from occurring again. We encourage our learners, team members, and the broader community to:
Educate yourself
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action;
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
- Learn about historic and modern treaties in Canada, treaty rights, and the treaty relationship;
- Watch the documentary We Were Children; and
- Read “The Residential School System” on the University of British Columbia’s Indigenous Foundations website.
Become an ally
- Wear orange to show your support to those impacted by residential schools;
- Acknowledge that your Indigenous friends/allies/acquaintances are in a collective mourning stage that will continue for a long time;
- Be the catalyst for change, have conversations about colonialism and ongoing violence against Indigenous peoples;
- Amplify Indigenous voices;
- Register for ‘Indigenous Canada,’ a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta; and
- Register for ‘Embracing Allyship & Inclusion,’ a self-directed micro-course developed by PowerED by Athabasca University that was created to help recognize discriminatory practices, develop inclusive behaviours, and lay the groundwork for meaningful allyship.
Seek help from these community resources
Carepath offers a comprehensive support program to promote prevention and early intervention for mental health issues. Support is available 24/7.
A safe and completely anonymous space for you to connect with other learners.
- First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line
1-855-242-3310, available 24/7
- Indian Residential School Survivors Society
1-800-721-0066
1-866-925-4419, 247 Crisis Line
