“The road we travel is equal in importance to the destination we seek. There are no shortcuts. When it comes to truth and reconciliation we are forced to go the distance.”
Justice Murray Sinclair
Truth and Reconciliation are an opportunity for renewal of relations between Canada’s Indigenous peoples and Canada’s Settler peoples. In order to reach and honour reconciliation, truth must resonate and be recognized. There is no room for historical debate nor relativity in this search for truth. The effects of colonialism are insidious and ongoing. Residential schools were a colonial attempt at assimilation and erasure through education, but through education we can strive to attain truth and value the foundational and ongoing contributions of Indigenous peoples and their knowledge to Canada.
The following resources are available in support of your continued learning.
Programs
Indigenous Archaeology in Waterloo Region
Thursday, September 29 @ 7 p.m. at Central Library, 85 Queen St. N., Kitchener
Presenters: Tanya Hill-Montour (Archaeology Supervisor, Six Nations of the Grand River) and Gary Warrick (Professor Emeritus, Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University).
Truth and Reconciliation: Indigenous Stories to Watch an Read
Friday, September 30 between 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
No registration required.
Stop by the Living Room in the Children’s Department to watch and read recorded stories by Indigenous authors and illustrators like Brittany Juby, Julie Flett, Daryl Baker, and Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley.
Drumming Circle with Kelly Welch
Saturday, October 1 @ 1 p.m. at Central Library, 85 Queen St North
Staff can prepare a selection of Truth and Reconciliation resources for you. Fill out our DiscoveREAD form and receive your own resources.
Digital Content
Curio
Curio provides access to CBC/Radio Canada content. Explore their curated collections on Truth and Reconciliation, the Sixties Scoop, Residential Schools, Indigenous Youth and more.
National Film Board
Access National Film Board of Canada documentaries and films about residential schools.
Find an Orange Shirt Day collection in Summa, a collection of high quality Canadian streaming content.
Additional Content
Rewatch or discover this digital storytelling event that celebrates Indigenous culture. Learn about the importance of land, and spirituality to First Nations, Inuit and Metis Peoples.
Indigenous Storytelling Series
Watch the second installment of our Heffner Studio Sessions series, recorded live at Kitchener Public Library. Kelly Welch, Red Eagle Woman, is a Crane Clan musician from Treaty Nine territory. In this performance, Kelly shares beautiful songs and stories about her healing journey and the handmade drum that has helped her find her own voice.
Heffner Studio Sessions: Kelly Welch – Red Eagle Woman
Indigenous Canada – Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores the different histories and contemporary perspectives of Indigenous peoples living in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores complex experiences Indigenous peoples face today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations.
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) – 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. Access and read all reports created by NCTR here.
Kitchener Public Library 