ReconciliACTIONS
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Learning Target(s):
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"A reconciliACTION is a meaningful action that moves reconciliation forward. ReconciliACTIONs aim to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples together in the spirit of reconciliation to create awareness, to share and to learn. It is the answer to Gord’s call to “Do Something”—do something to raise further awareness, do something that improves the lives of Indigenous peoples, do something that improves the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples." To engage in acts of reconciliation, first determine what reconciliACTION means to you and how you'd like to make an impact.
Consider the following questions when researching reconciliACTIONs: What is your role? What are the next steps to take? How can you make an impact? Many actions can be taken on the journey of reconciliation.
"Below is a shortlist of possible actions; yours could be one big action involving the whole school community or several small actions making daily change, one step at a time."
- Learn the land acknowledgement in your region, or develop one of your own in consultation with local Indigenous communities. In doing so, be sure to carefully consider your relationship to the land that you live on and the traditional territories of the Indigenous people who were here for thousands of years before colonization. Have your school give a daily land acknowledgement as part of the morning routine, as well as to open assemblies and important events.
- Find out if there was a residential school in your area, or where the closest one is located.
- Visit a commemorative exhibit that honours the students and victims of residential schools at projectofheart.ca.
- Research information about the First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities in your region.
- Research Indigenous charitable organizations, and choose one to support by holding a fundraising event to create awareness.
- Participate in Orange Shirt Day at the end of September by wearing an orange shirt and/or hosting a reconciliACTION event for the day. To learn more, visit orangeshirtday.org. This is a great way to start conversations leading up to Secret Path Week in October.
- Visit a local Indigenous organization, Friendship Centre, community group or museum.
- Create a presentation for your classroom, school or community. Share your knowledge to spread the word and engage others in conversation.
- Attend Indigenous cultural events taking place in your community.
- Research the contributions that Indigenous people from your community and/or surrounding communities have made to the world.
- Engage in meaningful reconciliation activities to ensure that Indigenous young people have the same opportunities as others. You can participate in: Bear Witness Day on May 10 in support of Jordan’s Principle; Have a Heart Day on February 14; and School Is a Time for Dreams to learn about and support Shannen’s Dream. Visit the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society for more ideas and information (available in French).
- Start a club or extracurricular activity to empower Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and staff to get involved outside of the classroom and lead in the journey of reconciliation. It could be a student led Reconciliation Club or an Indigenous Leadership Club that helps empower students to participate and inspire others to take action.
- Study an Indigenous language—especially one that is spoken in your region. Learn some common words and why it’s important to appreciate and protect Indigenous languages. Make it a class project with a local Elder or Indigenous language teacher. Try translating Secret Path into a local Indigenous language.
Here are a few resources to get you started with your reconciliACTION:
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Where are the children? Residential School Survivor stories
First Nations Child & Family Caring Society
nindibaajimomin a digital storytelling project for children of residential school survivors
Secret Path resources from OISE
Secret Path resources from Learning Bird
Secret Path resources from Manitoba Teachers’ Society (French Available)
Secret Path resources from Comox Valley Schools
Secret Path resources from Trent University
Secret Path resources from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association
Secret Path resources from North Vancouver District School Board
Assignment:
Brainstorm a plan for a reconciliACTION.
Describe what reconciliACTION means to you and how you'd like to make an impact. You will keep track of your research with an annotated bibliography.
Submit a two-page plan outlining your plan. Include a separate properly formatted annotated bibliography with at least 10 resources/ websites or anything else you explored on your journey of reconciliACTION. Write a few sentences for each source. Describe the source and explain how it helps you with your plan.
Below is an example of an entry for an annotated bibliography:
Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books, 1995. Print.
Further annotated bibliography, examples and instructions:
Owl Purdue: Annotated Bibliography
Source: Adapted from https://www.downiewenjack.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/14156-DW-Fund-Educator-Guide-C2-WEB-FA2.pdf June 2020
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