National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Additional Information and Resources

• What is the City doing?

  The City is supporting the Four Seasons Cultural Society in hosting a celebration of Indigenous culture and resiliency in Gyro Park on Sept. 30, 2022 at 1 pm to 6 pm.
  
  The family event will feature Red Spotted Horse Drum Group as well as dance performances and an invitation for the public to join in a Round Dance to honour survivors and those lost to Canada’s residential schools. Plan a picnic lunch, wear your orange shirt and bring your lawn chair.
  
  Activities include:
  •    Acknowledgement of the Day
  •    First Nations Dance Performances
  •    Drumming and Singing
  •    Public Round Dance
  •    Closing Remarks
  
  Any groups, artisans and vendors wishing to participate are invited to contact Kristine Jack at 250-488-7199 or kristinejack@hotmail.com

• What can you do?

  We encourage everyone to take time on September 30th to honour residential school survivors and intergenerational impacts on Indigenous communities. 

  We all have a responsibility to learn how we can contribute in our daily lives and to be understanding of the intergenerational impacts of historical policies built to eradicate Indigenous ways of being. Kinshift.ca is a local Syilx resource with a series of workshops that is open to everyone to attend. 

  The Government of Canada has created a cellphone app to use as a reference tool to learn more about the Indigenous Canadian history and experience. The app provides information about relevant historical dates and provides examples of Reconciliation initiatives. Follow the link to download the Reconciliation: A Starting Point cellphone app. 

• Important Dates

  • May 5: National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls 
  • June 21: National Indigenous Peoples Day
  • September 30: National Day of Truth and Reconciliation / Orange Shirt Day 
• Information on Truth and Reconciliation

  National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation 
  The NCTR is a place of learning and dialogue where the truths of the residential school experience will be honoured and kept safe for future generations.

  Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 
  The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) provided those directly or indirectly affected by the legacy of the Indian Residential Schools system with an opportunity to share their stories and experiences. It is a testament to the courage of each and every survivor and family member who shared their story. In December 2015, the TRC released its entire 6-volume final report. All Canadians are encouraged to read the summary or the final report to learn more about the terrible history of Indian Residential Schools and its sad legacy.

• Recommended Viewing and Reading

  Reading lists

  Founded in 1993 by Anishinaabe writer Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Kegedonce is committed to the publication of beautifully written and designed Indigenous literature, both nationally and internationally.

  Theytus Books is a leading North American publisher of Indigenous voices. Located in Syilx territory on the Penticton Indian Reserve in British Columbia, Theytus Books is proudly First Nations-owned and operated in partnership with the En'owkin Centre.

  Pemmican Publications is a book publisher with a mandate to promote Metis authors, illustrators and stories. It is a not-for-profit company that operates as an arm’s-length affiliate of the Manitoba Metis Federation. Pemmican publishes on average five to six new titles per year, with titles ranging from cultural studies and autobiographies to illustrated titles for children

  Viewing recommendations

  The National Film Board of Canada has a number of videos and documentaries about Residential Schools available on their website.

  We Were Children: In this feature film, the profound impact of the Canadian government’s residential school system is conveyed through the eyes of two children who were forced to face hardships beyond their years. As young children, Lyna and Glen were taken from their homes and placed in church-run boarding schools, where they suffered years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, the effects of which persist in their adult lives. We Were Children gives voice to a national tragedy and demonstrates the incredible resilience of the human spirit.

  Holy Angels: In 1963, Lena Wandering Spirit became one of the more than 150,000 Indigenous children who were removed from their families and sent to residential school. Jay Cardinal Villeneuve’s short documentary Holy Angels powerfully recaptures Canada’s colonialist history through impressionistic images and the fragmented language of a child. Villeneuve met Lena through his work as a videographer with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Filmed with a fierce determination to not only uncover history but move past it, Holy Angels speaks of the resilience of a people who have found ways of healing—and of coming home again.

  Sisters and Brothers: In a pounding critique of Canada's colonial history, this short film draws parallels between the annihilation of the bison in the 1890s and the devastation inflicted on the Indigenous population by the residential school system.This film is part of Souvenir, a series of four films addressing Indigenous identity and representation by reworking material in the NFB's archives.

• Local Resources and Opportunities

  Okanagan Nation Alliance 
  The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) was formed in 1981 as the inaugural First Nations government in the Okanagan which represents the 8 member communities including; Okanagan Indian Band, Upper Nicola Band, Westbank First Nation, Penticton Indian Band, Osoyoos Indian Band and Lower and Upper Similkameen Indian Bands and the Colville Confederated Tribes on areas of common concern.  Each community is represented through the Chiefs Executive Council (CEC) by their Chief or Chairman.

  Indian Residential School Survivors Society (BC) 
  The Indian Residential School Survivors Society is a provincial organization with a 20 year history of providing services to Indian Residential School Survivors.

  National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls 
  Mandate: The National Inquiry must look into and report on the systemic causes of all forms of violence against Indigenous women and girls, including sexual violence. We must examine the underlying social, economic, cultural, institutional, and historical causes that contribute to the ongoing violence and particular vulnerabilities of Indigenous women and girls in Canada. The mandate also directs us to look into and report on existing institutional policies and practices to address violence, including those that are effective in reducing violence and increasing safety.

  Penticton Library – Unbox
  BECOME AN AGENT OF CHANGE - UNBOX is a collaborative initiative with the aim to reduce racism and discrimination within the South Okanagan through active engagement. You will have the opportunity to explore and learn more about racism in our region. As a participant, you will gain tools to become an agent of change in our communities.

  Penticton Library – Reading for Truth and Reconciliation 
  This list contains everything from information about Residental Schools, to the Indian Act, to Truth and Reconciliation, to fictional stories by First Nations authors. It is also constantly evolving and changing. If you think we need to add something, send us an email!

  Penticton Museum & Archives – Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in BC 
  About 60 per cent of Canada's Indigenous languages are spoken in British Columbia - 203 First Nations communities speak 34 distinct languages.

  Find out more about the efforts being made by 13 BC First Nations communities to preserve and revitalize their languages for future generations in this travelling exhibit on loan from the Royal BC Museum.

  The Penticton display also features an exclusive display from the En'owkin Centre, location of the nsyilxcn indigenous language school, which celebrates some of the community's language champions

  University of Alberta - Indigenous Canada 
  Indigenous Canada is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada.

  From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations.

  Indigenous Canada is for students from faculties outside the Faculty of Native Studies with an interest in acquiring a basic familiarity with Indigenous/non-Indigenous relationships.

  The En'owkin Centre
  The En'owkin Centre (hereafter referred to as En'owkin) is a dynamic institution, which puts into practice the principles of self-determination and the validation of cultural aspirations and identity. An Indigenous cultural, educational, ecological and creative arts organization, En'owkin plays a lead role in the development and implementation of Indigenous knowledge and systems, both at the community and international levels.

  Ooknakane Friendship Centre
  The Ooknakane Friendship Centre is an Aboriginal Not-For-Profit society that is committed to providing holistic, culturally-driven programs and services designed to support, educate and strengthen people of all nations.