September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and is also Orange Shirt Day. This day is both important and difficult, as a time for remembering Indigenous children and families harmed by Canada’s residential school system, for recognizing the continued effects of settler colonialism and intergenerational trauma, and for reacting by taking meaningful action.
The University of Lethbridge’s activities are paused on this day, not as a holiday, but to provide time for collective reflection, learning and healing. ULFA wishes to express its solidarity with all those in our Membership and our community who continue to be affected by our colonial past and present.
Here are some ways to get involved:
- Take part in the City of Lethbridge Friday activities for Truth and Reconciliation Week;
- Learn more about the history of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action
- Read the 94 Calls to Action (particularly 6–12 and 62–65, which relate to education);
- Read some of the excellent scholarship around decolonising the University and Indigenization of research:
- Decolonization is not a metaphor, by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang
- Keeoukaywin: The Visiting Way – Fostering an Indigenous Research Methodology, by Janice Cindy Gaudet
- Theorizing Indigeneity, Gender, and Settler Colonialism by Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner, Kyle Whyte
- Indigenization as inclusion, reconciliation, and decolonization: navigating the different visions for indigenizing the Canadian Academy, UAlberta, by Adam Gaudry and Danielle Lorenz
- With the kids, read one of these recommended children’s books about the residential school experience.
Supports are available here:
- Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women has many resources including crisis lines;
- The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line can be reached 24 hours at: 1-866-925-4419
Within Lethbridge and the University of Lethbridge:
- Learn about and donate to Sage Clan (they are having a fundraiser Friday 1:30 at Analog Books in cooperation with New West Theatre and storyteller Katie-Jo Rabbit and a vigil behind the Civic Centre at 7:30 p.m.);
- Learn more about the University of Lethbridge’s new Iikaisskini Indigenous Services;
- You can donate here to the Iikaisskini Student Initiatives Fund in support of Indigenous students at the U of L;
- The University of Lethbridge’s home page lists information concerning this week’s activities;
- The new language in our Collective Agreement around evaluation of Indigenous Members’ Work (Article 23.03) was crafted in consultation with Indigenous members and follows the spirit of the TRC Calls to Action 62 and 63.
ULFA’s Gender, Equity and Diversity Committee
on behalf of ULFA
