OTTERBURNE, MB – September 30th marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
On this day, Providence joins with the rest of Canada in honouring residential school survivors, their families, and communities. An important part of the reconciliation process is to remember and to acknowledge this painful history, to listen and to engage in meaningful dialogue together.
There will be no classes on the 30th to allow our Providence community some time to reflect on the truths of this Day and build towards reconciliation with our Indigenous sisters and brothers. Throughout the week, we encourage our students, staff and faculty to wear an orange shirt and/or to pin a commemorative ribbon to their lapels.
Below are some opportunities this week for engagement on our Otterburne campus:
- Check your mailboxes on Tuesday for an orange ribbon that you can attach to your shirts and jackets as a symbol of solidarity with (or your commitment to) Indigenous communities.
- Following our Wednesday Community Chapel, there will be a special station set up in the Reimer Student Life Center with interesting Indigenous material and resources.
- On Thursday, at lunch, the cafeteria will serve bannock, a flat bread that is very popular amongst Indigenous cultures.
- Our student-led chapel, on Friday at 11:10 am in the Muriel Taylor Hall Hub, will be focused on reconciliation.
We also recommend finding ways to commemorate this Truth and Reconciliation Day within the greater community. Here are a few things that are happening in Winnipeg on September 30th:
The Winnipeg Art Gallery is hosting a special day of programming in partnership with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. All are welcome for a screening of Truth and Reconciliation Week program episodes as well as NCTR’s live national broadcast, Remembering the Children, airing at 12:00 pm. Following the screening will be a book launch and a public discussion about the history of the residential school system.
The Manitoba Museum will feature special, all-day programming in the Museum Galleries focused on the history of residential schools and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The programming includes videos from the NCTR, a self-guided tour of the many exhibits relevant to the history of the residential school system and the TRC, as well as a Manitoba Cares station where visitors can share their thoughts and make their own commitment to take action for Reconciliation.
Take a contemplative walk in Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park at the Leaf which comprises of close to 30 acres of gardens and greenspace including the Indigenous Peoples Garden. The gardens explore the universal human connection with plants across cultures and over time.
Above are a few ideas to encourage participation and engagement with Truth and Reconciliation. We hope you can dedicate your day off, or at least part of it, to meaningful discussion and reflection on the impacts of residential schools. Let’s imagine and envision together a better future for Canada, for Indigenous peoples and for God’s Kingdom.
