Continuing the work on Truth and Reconciliation
October 1, 2021
September 30 marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. But in our system Truth must be told and Reconciliation must be worked for every day.
As we reflect upon the words spoken yesterday and during the course of the week, first please, consider the heaviness and trauma that this week may trigger for Indigenous people.
As a system we have much to consider. How do we take part in reconciliation as a board? What does this look like in schools? What does reconciliation look like in classrooms? How do we make our system safe for Indigenous students and staff? How do we support teachers learning alongside their students?
Schools and classrooms can start with documents like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action – particularly number 62 and 63 about the role of the education community.
Institutions need to be held accountable not just on September 30 but every single day. The work of the UGDSB is understanding systemic racism and how Indigenous people have to fight every single day for basic human rights on the Land we “Acknowledge” with our words.
We encourage everyone to review the UGDSB’s Indigenous Education policy, which will guide the board’s work going forward and help us to learn and unlearn the truths of colonialism.
Thank you for committing to the work of Truth and Reconciliation.
Categories: News Tags: Indigenous Education