City recognizes National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The City of Leduc will hold a flag raising ceremony at the Leduc Civic Centre on Sept. 30 at 11 a.m. in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and in observance and reflection of the ongoing tragedies and legacy of residential schools in Canada.

The ceremony will include raising the Treaty 6 and Metis flags, prayer and blessings by a Cree Elder and traditional drumming and singing by Chubby Cree.

The City is also pleased to welcome New Blood to the Maclab Centre for the Performing Arts. This theatre production blends Blackfoot music and contemporary music by Peter Gabriel to celebrate Blackfoot history and traditions. Daytime performances will be made available to students at Leduc Composite High School while an evening performance will be open to the public on Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. There will be no charge to attend; however, tickets must be reserved in advance (space is limited).

Members of the community and City staff are encouraged to wear orange on Sept. 30.

To learn more, visit the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and/or review the resources outlined below.

Immediate support

• The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
  Available 24 hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential school experience.

Reading material

• The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Reports
  Better understand Canada’s harsh legacy of colonization, racism, and assimilation and how these historic wrongs continue to impact Indigenous peoples.
   
• Beyond 94: Truth and Reconciliation in Canada
  An immersive website on the 95 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Created by the CBC Indigenous Unit, Beyond 94 allows users to track outcomes on the Calls to Action, learn about residential schools, and discover how Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians can work together.
   
• The Soul Wounds of the Anishinabek People: The Psychological and Intergenerational Impacts of Indian Residential School
  Information on the impacts of the Indian Residential School system to the survivors, their families and First Nation communities.
   
• Empowering the Spirit, First Nations Treaties in Alberta: Treaty 6 and A Note on Terminology
   
• Royal Alberta Museum’s RAM Blog

Interactive learning

• Whose land
  A web-based app to learn about the territories your home, school or place of work is situated on. Learn about the treaties and agreements signed across Canada and find information for land acknowledgement in your Treaty area.
     
• Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre
  Virtual Library for students, parents, and educators.

Toolkits

• Indigenous Ally
  Published by the Montreal Indigenous Community NETWORK, you will understand the role you can play in creating a positive and sustainable impact on the lives of Indigenous Peoples.
   
• It’s Our Time: The AFN Education Toolkit
  Learning modules available in PDF form, this toolkit aims to bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and foster a spirit of co-operation, understanding, and action.
   
• Reconciliation Canada
  From Community Action Toolkits to speaking series, Reconciliation Canada is engaging Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in conversation to explore the meaning of reconciliation.

Film and documentaries

• Wawahte: Stories of Residential School Survivors
  Based on the book by Robert Wells, and produced by John Sanfilippo, this documentary highlights the voices of residential school survivors. The documentary combines archival images with elements from the Wawahte audio book. The result is a presentation that is more powerful and accessible than ever.
   
• We Were Children by the National Film Board of Canada
  In this feature film, the profound impact of the Canadian government’s residential school system is conveyed through the eyes of two children who were forced to face hardships beyond their years.

Podcast and audio learning

• This Place
  This Place, the bestselling graphic novel anthology that tells 150 years of Canadian history through Indigenous stories, is now available as a podcast by CBC Books. The 10-episode series will be hosted by Rosanna Deerchild and incorporates elements of fantasy and magical realism to examine the 150-plus years of Canadian history since Confederation from an Indigenous perspective.
   
• Telling our Twisted Histories
  Savage. Reserve. Indian Time. Words connect us, but have the power to hurt us deeply. Telling our Twisted Histories is an 11-episode podcast series that reclaims Indigenous history by exploring 11 words whose meanings have been twisted by centuries of colonization. Host Kaniehtiio Horn guides us through conversations with over 70 Indigenous people from 11 communities whose lands now make up Quebec, New Brunswick and Labrador, as they share their words, humour and truths about concepts that impact us to this day.  

Formal education

• Indigenous Canada
  Explore key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective. Audit the class online for free, or pay a fee to receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course. Commitment: 12 weeks of study, 2 to 3 hours per week.