Dear Neighbour,

Former Senator, Justice, and Chair of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Murray “Murr” Sinclair has equated the path to reconciliation as getting to the top of a mountain. The paths are marked and described, there are easy routes and tougher ones, but only the tough ones will get you to the top. The clear plans our provincial government has laid out, including the implementation of United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), are steps in the right direction. Even with this roadmap, there are still many long and difficult paths we must take as a province and country to acknowledging our colonial past and guiding ourselves towards reconciliation.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day of reflection, understanding and growth for us all. The ongoing discoveries of unmarked graves in residential school sites serve as a painful reminder of generations of colonial policies that only ended recently. Although the residential school system has ended, there are other policies we need to address and learn from in order to truly undo the trauma inflicted by colonialism. These will not be easy paths to take, but they are ones we all must walk together to heal.

September 30th is also Orange Shirt Day.

Read more here.