National Day for Truth and Reconciliation events and resources
Located on Treaty 13 territory, the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work acknowledges its responsibility to learn about the histories of Indigenous peoples, to teach our students about the complicit role social work has played in contributing to harms and intergenerational trauma, and to work together to confront the racism and oppression that persists in our field and in our communities. We are committed to working collectively for and with Indigenous communities towards reconciliation.
September 30 marks Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — a day to honour Survivors of residential schools and those who never returned home, as well as the families and communities who continue to be affected by intergenerational trauma.
Below are some events leading up to — and taking place on — September 30. We have also included links to videos of past lectures and a reading list created for those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the issues associated with Truth and Reconciliation.
EVENTS
2024 Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Commemoration
Monday, September 30, 2024
10:00am to 11:30am
Great Hall at Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto
Honour the experiences of residential school survivors by joining a University-wide event to commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. Students, librarians, faculty members, and staff can register to attend this event in person or watch the live stream.
Truth and Reconciliation Art Wall – for FIFSW students, faculty, and staff
Staff, students, and faculty are encouraged to visit the Art Wall located outside the elevators on the 3rd floor to participate in building a community of commitment. Use words, pictures, phrases, or quotations and express how you will commit to calls of action in the 2024-2025 academic year.
All-Nations Powwow
Saturday, September 28, 2024
12:00pm to 5:00pm
University of Toronto Mississauga
North Field (in front of Maanjiwe nendamowinan)
A Powwow is an Indigenous social celebration where community members can gather and enjoy traditional singing and dancing. All community members, including non-Indigenous, are welcome and are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in what a Powwow has to offer.
Gathering Our Little Shoes
Paul Cadario Conference Centre, University College
In recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, members of the Dean’s Advisory Committee on Indigenous Research, Teaching & Learning (IRTL) at the Faculty of Arts & Science will present a panel discussion on the Indigenous-led, divisional approaches to reconciliation, and the ongoing engagement to fulfill the university’s Calls to Action. The talk will be proceeded by a Round Dance and a light reception. Registration is required as seating is limited.
Ziibliing Opening Celebration
Monday, September 23, 2024
12:15 to 1:30pm
1 Hart House Circle, in front of Hart House
The University of Toronto is excited to mark the official opening of Ziibiing (the Indigenous landscape project at Hart House Green) with a celebration for the entire U of T community. The celebration will feature representatives from the Council of Indigenous Initiatives Elders’ Circle, the Indigenous Landscape Advisory Committee, and the University. A reception with light refreshments will follow the official program at Ziibiing.
Lunch and learns
Presented by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, University of Manitoba
September 23 to 27, Online
Members of the public are invited to join daily Lunch and Learn webinars — an immersive experience to unlearn the myths of colonial history in Canada. Lunch and Learn sessions are aimed at an adult audience, and open to the public, and will be hosted virtually over Zoom Webinar and streamed to YouTube.
- September 23- Health Related Impacts of the Residential School System
- September 24- Allyship and Confronting Unconscious Bias
- September 25- Impacts and Addressing Indigenous Identity Fraud
- September 26- A Community Perspective of UNDRIP
- September 27- How Do We Address the Barriers to Reconciliation
RESOURCES & LEARNING
The Truth about Reconciliation: Healing the Layers of Oppression, with Suzy Goodleaf, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream FIFSW
In this talk, presented in the fall of 2023, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream Suzy Goodleaf addresses the idea of reconciliation for the Indigenous people of this land and why healing generational trauma can be a struggle. Goodleaf looks at the science of trauma, protective reactions to unresolved grief and how awareness of oppression and the desire to connect is the key to healing the rupture in the relationship between Native and Non-Native people of this land.
Suzy Goodleaf is a Mohawk Two Spirted person from Kahnawake. A member of the Bear Clan, Goodleaf has been formally trained as a Psychologist and Marital and Family Therapist specializing in the treatment of trauma resulting from the multi-generational impacts of the oppression of First Nations People of Turtle Island. She has been fortunate to learn from elders and knowledge keepers from Kahnawake Nation and other First Nations across Turtle Island for over 36 years while working in the field of wellness.
Decolonizing Pathways Toward Integrative Healing in Social Work
In 2021, The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work presented a two-hour workshop on Decolonizing Pathways Towards Integrative Healing in Social Work, inspired by Michael Yellow Bird and Kris Clarke’s book of the same name. Featuring a dialogue with the authors and a panel discussion with grassroots community leaders, this workshop created a space for social workers and those interested in the field to strengthen their knowledge and commitment to:
- Holding social work accountable for historic and ongoing complicity in colonial practices
- Learning from social movements and Indigenous resistance to colonial violence, and
- Creating pathways for knowledge that was closed by colonial systems to transform and decolonize social work theory and practice
READINGS
Statement of Apology and Commitment to Reconciliation [PDF]
In 2019, the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) issued an apology for its role in supporting the implementation of residential schools and affirming the approach to child welfare that led to the 60s scoop through the promotion of discriminatory policies with the underlying motivation to dispossess Indigenous peoples from their land. Read the full apology and commitment to reconciliation from the CASW here.
Answering the Call: Weecheehetowin
Answering the Call: Weecheehetowin is a report of recommendations and actions produced in 2017 in response to TRC. Learn about U of T’s commitments to TRC across all three campuses. This robust report designed to address barriers and improve inclusion includes a focus on Indigenous curriculum, Indigenous Research Ethics and Community Relations, and Indigenous Students and Indigenous Co-Curricular Education. Learn more about Answering the Call.
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation reports
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) is a place of learning and dialogue where the truths of Residential School Survivors, families and communities are honoured and kept safe for future generations. The reports listed on its website were issued or created by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).
A reading list from Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, Chari on Truth and Reconciliation in Canada for Lakehead University
A member and resident of the Chippewa of Georgina Island First Nation in Ontario, Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux has dedicated her life to building bridges of understanding between peoples. In 2014, she was inducted as a “Honourary Witness” by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada in 2014. She is also the Chair of the Governing Circle for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.
In 2022, Wesley-Esquimaux provided FIFSW with a reading list for those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the issues associated with Truth and Reconciliation. View the full reading list from Wesley-Esquimaux here.