September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This holiday honors First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Survivors and their families and communities, and ensures that public commemoration of their history and the legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process. [source: https://parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/43-2/bill/C-5/royal-assent]
We encourage everyone to take steps to learn about the Indigenous communities and their history, and to participate in the events that will be held on the North Island.
Here’s a list of live events:
- Comox Valley: Comox Valley Spirit Walk, Simms Millennium Park, 11 am-5 pm, call 250-871-7353 for more information.
- Campbell River: Every Child Matters walk, Spirit Square, 11 am.
Here’s a short list of resources to start learning about the Indigenous People of Canada:
- “Welcome to our Homelands”, video, https://issbc.org/blog/welcome-to-our-homelands/
- Must-read titles written by Indigenous authors, selected by the Toronto Public Library’s Indigenous Advisory Council, https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/books-video-music/books/booklists/read-indigenous.jsp
- “Indigenous Canada”, a free 12-lesson online course from the Faculty of Native Studies of the University of Alberta, https://www.coursera.org/learn/indigenous-canada
