The day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an example of listening and taking action. It is a direct response to Action 80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada:
80. We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.
September 30th is also Orange Shirt Day – which opens the door to global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools.
At the Chang Institute, we are taking time to reflect on the social injustices that continue on today in Canada. As an entrepreneurship institute, we talk about the power of the entrepreneurial mindset and its components, and among those are imagination and future-focus, empathy and self-efficacy. So let’s let this day be a time for listening, compassion, imagining a better future, taking action towards systemic change and healing for the future.
As we continue our journey to learn and effect change, let’s look at different ways to gain transformational insights; there are many out there. A good example is Kevin Lamoureux’s talk on Healing with the Weapon-Reconciliation and Education (more of his inspiring talks can be found here). Among so many eloquent statements, he talked about one of the First Nations’ guiding principles: that the future, usually seen as children, is sacred. This further drives home the tragic loss of over 6000 children with more continuing to be recovered. It also provides guidance: The need to consider the actions we take and ask if they will lead to a future: A future where seven generations from now we will have made a positive, lasting impact.
The last time we addressed this topic, we talked about empathy, honesty and the importance of learning from our shared history in order to ensure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past, as well as identifying and addressing the injustices in our systems to work toward a better future. As we recognize and mark the history and legacy of residential schools, we are also taking steps forward. These steps include actively learning about the history and present of Indigenous peoples in Canada, listening to diverse voices when making decisions, examining our programming and perspectives to identify barriers, bias, gaps including where we need safer spaces for Indigenous voices and where we respect and learn from the views and contribution of First Nations peoples in Canada.
As you reflect, you may also wonder what steps you can take on this healing journey, and many of you are probably already actively exploring or enacting change. Some of the ways you can listen and take action include:
For Indigenous Entrepreneurs, the SFU library has compiled a resource list for indigenous businesses, and you can also reach out to the Chang Institute team through the emails below.
If you have comments, questions, suggestions or ideas for ways to take action and help with systems change and healing, please reach out to us here:
Trish Mandewo, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lead
or Sarah Lubik, Executive Director of Entrepreneurship
For Indigenous students, faculty and staff, support can be accessed through the Indigenous Student Centre
Students: SFU Health and Counselling have supports available specifically for Indigenous students
Faculty and staff: The Employee and Family Assistance Program is available for faculty, staff and their immediate families
Community: The Indian Residential School Survivors Society is available at 1-800-721-0066, along with a 24-hour crisis line at 1-866-925-4419 for those who need immediate support.
The KUU-US Crisis Line Society provides an Indigenous-specific crisis line available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s toll-free and can be reached at 1-800-588-8717.
The First Nations Health Authority offers support specifically for survivors and families who have been directly impacted by the Indian Residential School system.
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