Opportunities for Reconciliation

The RAIC is grateful for and honours the generosity of the members of the RAIC Truth and Reconciliation Task Force and Indigenous Task Force. The RAIC is committed to continued action along this journey together.

This document provides various resources to participate in and pay respect to Truth and Reconciliation.

The following resources will help provide education, understanding, and awareness on Indigenous history, current issues, etc.

The RAIC wishes to disclaim that this site only offers a sample of resources and is continually evolving – but our hope is that it offers you a starting point from which to move forward and onward. If you have any feedback on the content or ideas that you would like us to consider, please contact us at info@raic.org.

Trigger Warning

The following information contains details about Indian Residential and Day Schools that may be triggering for some participants. We would like to share some mental health supports that are available from a few sources.

The Indian Residential Schools Survivor Society crisis line is available 24/7 for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of his or her residential school experience and can be reached at 1-800-721-0066.

The Hope for Wellness line is available24/7 for Indigenous people for counselling and crisis intervention and can be reached toll-free 1-855-242-3310. There is also a live online chat available at https://www.hopeforwellness.ca.

Former residential school survivors can also call1-866-925-4419 for emotional crisis referral services on health supports available from the Government of Canada.

Non-Indigenous people seeking a mental health professional can get support from Wellness Together Canada at 1-866-585-0445 or by texting WELLNESS to 741741 for adults or 686868 for youth. This is available 24/7.

Resources to Educate yourself and offer reflection

READ

• Read the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada’s Calls to Action
• Read the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice
• Read the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Access the Indigenous Resource Commission Guide curated by NSCC Libraries
• Explore Two Spirit and LGBTQIA Indigenous Resources (via University of Toronto Libraries)
• Read the UNESCO’s proclamation of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022to2032)
• Read books–the Toronto Public Library curated a list of Indigenous must-reads
• https://www.reginalibrary.ca/recommended-lists/read-reconciliation
• https://www.beaconnectr.org/category/theme/read
• https://fpse.ca/decolonization_manual_whose_land_is_it_anyway

WATCH

RAIC Webinars on Indigenous Design

• RAIC-The Path through Indigenous Canada
• Not for us Without us: Pursuing Design with Indigenous Communities in a Good Way l1 Hour
• Indigenuity l1Hour
• Supporting Indigenous Initiated Architecture in Canada l1 hour
• Indigenous Planning and Architecture: Thoughts on Practicing with an Open Mindl1Hour
• Soutenir l’architecture initiée par les Autochtones grâce au programme d’ études en architecturel1Hour
• Indigenous Placekeeping Pedagogy 7-4-4-7: Re-Imagining Architecture|1Hour
• Indigenous and Community Hubs-Their Design and Organizational Structure|1Hour
• Nokom’s House: Creating Space for Research in Good Relation|1Hour
• RAIC International Indigenous Architecture and Design Symposium - Poster Presentations|1Hour
• Supporting Indigenous Initiated Architecture in Canada Through the Architectural Curriculum|1Hour
• Lines in the Land| 1 Hour
• Funding Sovereignty: Lessons from the IHIIAccelerator Funding Pilot Project|1Hour
• Bringing the ‘United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ to the RAIC|1Hour
• Facilitating an Indigenous-led design process through collaboration
• RAIC ITF and TRTF Special Event : Indigenous Architecture Day
• Crown-Indigenous Co-Design-Spiritual Spaces
• The Voice of Indigeneity to Amplify Architecture
•  Arctic Odyssey : Cultural Renewal through Innovative Architecture
• Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre: International Design Competition
• Indigenous Justice Centres: Exploring Spatial Justice in an Urban Context
• WLFN Osprey Nest-A return to the shoreline of William’s Lake

RAIC Indigenous Learning Webinars from RAIC Networks

• Indigenous Worldview and Opportunities for Reconciliation

Other Visual Resources

• Watch films and documentaries that reflect on the residential school experience–the National Film Board of Canada offers a rich collection of Indigenous-made films
• Watch an Awakenings short film: A Portrait in Red(A short film by Alexandra Lazarowich,2020) covers the relocation of the Don Valley River and the impact of land extraction on the Indigenous peoples origins of Tkaronto
• Reflections with Alex Lazarowich discusses missing and murdered Indigenous women and the impact of environmental disasters affecting natural resources for Indigenous people across Canada
• Acknowledgment (A short film by JonathanElliott,2020)and Reflections with Jonathan Elliott outline evolving land acknowledgments.
• What Reconciliation feels like to people 'locked in the bathroom' for a century 
• Canadian History and the Indigenous School System
• Residential Schools in Canada : A Timeline
• First Contact (APTN) [TV series]
• Dashboards tracking progress on TRC Calls to Action:https://www.indigenouswatchdog.org
• Home on Native Land- excellent (free) education series by R.A.V.E.N.
  
  “Let’s be fair: most of us didn’t learn this stuff in history class. In a lighthearted, conversational and occasionally very funny series of videos, we’ll take a tour through the laws of this land we call Canada, and discover the good, the bad and the ugly about Indigenous-settler relationships.”

This self-guided course involves:

• 10 video conversations with prominent Indigenous thinkers, scholars, and legal experts with host Ryan McMahon
• 10 lessons laying out the fundamentals of Treaty rights, the Indian Act, Constitutional rights, and environmental rights & Indigenous stewardship – with illustrations
• Prompts for self-reflection and ways to initiate dialogue–at work, at school, or around the dinner table
• Land Governance video series-Provides a succinct overview (Past ,Present, Future) and implications in relation to reconciliation and land back (3 videos ~15min each
• Excellent (updated) video about the Sen̓áḵw development (<3min) and how the design and development of this project is leading new ways forward

LISTEN

• Still Here Still Healing– Jade Roberts on Spotify
• Residential Schools–Historica Britannica on Spotify
• Telling our Twisted Stories–CBC podcast with host Kaniehti:io
• Warrior Life[Podcast]

LEARN

• Visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website
• Explore the Legacy of Hope Foundation‘s online exhibitions and educational resources about the history and effects of the residential school system, the Sixties Scoop, and the ongoing experiences Indigenous Peoples continue to face.
• Learn about residential schools and take a tour of former sites, such as those offered by the Woodland Cultural Centre
• Learn about Mohawk Village Memorial Park to honour the children who attended the Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School, which operated from 1834 to 1970
• University of Alberta–Indigenous Canada On-Line Course
• We are all treaty people. Learn how you can honour treaties visit ontario.ca/page/treaties and native-land.ca
• Learn about the significance of land acknowledgements and learn about the one in your area “Land acknowledgements: uncovering an oral history of Tkaronto,” via Local Love.
• Reconciliation Saskatoon
• Metis Educator Anna Soole–Decolonization: A Resource for Indigenous Solidarity
• From Risk to Resilience: Indigenous Alternatives to Climate Risk Assessment in Canada
• TRC Calls to Action in BC Municipalities: Progress Barriers and Opportunities to Accelerate Implementation

ENGAGE

How do you like your reconciliation worksheet to discuss collaboratively with your circles to grow a shared understanding and actively engage relational accountabilities from the Yellowhead Institute.

GIVE

• Support Indigenous artists, writers, musicians
• Support or volunteer for local Indigenous businesses, organizations, or causes
• Consider a donation to the Spirit Garden, part of the Indian Residential School Survivors (IRSS) Restoration of Identity Project, on Nathan Phillips Square, led by Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre in partnership with the City of Toronto

PARTICIPATE

• Wear orange on September 30 for Orange Shirt Day, established by the Orange Shirt Society in 2013 to honour “Phyllis’s story” whose new orange shirt was taken on her first day at residential school when she was just six years old.
• Buy an orange shirt from an Indigenous artist or company that supports Indigenous causes, directly through the Orange Shirt Society
• Support the reclamation of identity, language and culture, learn greetings/phrases in Indigenous languages, or explore Hart House’s Indigenous Language Exhibit
• Visit the Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square, which currently features an artwork titled Rekindle, designed by Toronto-based artist Joseph Sagaj in recognition of UNESCO’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 to 2032)

Missing Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Final Report

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

• September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, when Canadians recognize the ongoing trauma caused by residential and day schools, and remember those who never returned home, survivors and their families. It is also an opportunity to commit to the process of truth, justice and reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada.
• This holiday was proposed in 2015 by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which under Action 80 called upon the federal government, in collaboration with Indigenous peoples, to establish a statutory holiday “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.”
• Reconciliation is the responsibility of every Canadian. It means acknowledging the past and ensuring history never repeats itself by respecting Indigenous treaties and rights and letting go of negative perceptions and stereotypes to work towards solidarity.
• Reflect on how you can work towards reconciliation in your own life and create your own personal reconciliation plan.

Mental Health Resources & Supports

National Day of Truth and Reconciliation may be difficult, as many continue to reflect, heal and confront traumas. If you require support, the following resources are available:

• Crisis Services Canada 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645
• Hope For Wellness Helpline for Indigenous peoples1-855-242-3310
• Native Youth Crisis Line1-877-209-1266
• Indian Residential School Crisis Line provides emotional and crisis referral services at a 24-hourline,1-866-925-4419
• Talk4Healing,1-855-554-HEAL, a culturally grounded, fully confidential helpline for Indigenous women available in 14 languages all across Ontario