Menno Place Observes Truth and Reconciliation Day
Menno Place honoured Truth and Reconciliation Day on campus on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
Staff were invited to wear an orange t-shirt. (Read about why we wear orange shirts on Truth and Reconciliation Day.) There was a presentation for the residents by Cecelia Reekie, a member of the Haisla First Nation, at 2:00 in the Menno Hospital Chapel.
As the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said, “Education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it.” Leaning into this need to start with education, staff from Menno Place participated in a series of discussions based on the Listening to Indigenous Voices curriculum. The discussions were facilitated by Bridget Findlay, Mennonite Central Committee BC Indigenous Neighbours Coordinator, along with guest speakers from local indigenous communities.
If you would like to go through this material it is available online at: http://ltiv.ca
Taking Steps Towards Reconciliation
As we honour Truth and Reconciliation Day it can be hard to know where to begin to tackle such a complex and painful history. In the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada the authors wrote about the importance of all Canadians practicing reconciliation in our everyday lives.
Here are 5 ways you can step into the conversation and practice reconciliation:
- READ about residential school history
https://nctr.ca/education/teaching-resources/residential-school-history/ - EXPLORE the stories of the victims and survivors
https://witnessblanket.ca/explore - LISTEN to kids from the Sk’elep School of Excellence sing “We Won’t Forget You”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0YYkvIWbng - WATCH stories of survivors:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJHR1STq_-s - PARTICIPATE in the Stetís ímexstowx Gathering at The Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford
https://thereach.ca/events/stetis-imexstowx-gathering/
