Indigenous leaders are reminding us that this is a day for solemnity, for reflection, for honouring the dead in a respectful manner similar to how we mark Remembrance Day. People are also displaying their intentions to commemorate all the children that did not make it home by wearing orange.
However this is not something that we can leave unattended after one day or one gesture but rather we must carry forward actions that become part of our everyday concerns.
This postcard, shown below, was made for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation event and you can see that it has some specific action steps you can take. The most important one perhaps is to listen to Indigenous voices and take their lead in the actions we take. However the task of educating ourselves falls on non-Indigenous people to do the research and find the material so that we can deepen our understanding without burdening an Indigenous person to do this for us.
There is a lot of material to be found online. As well as the action items on the postcard, you can also access the pamphlet for the 215+ Children Taken Art Installation that features several different action steps using the QR code on the front of the postcard.
We also have an infographic with some steps you can take.
The thing is to do this with an open heart, find some way into your learning or action journey that speaks to you. It is the commitment that each one of us makes to the truth that will lead to making reconciliation a reality.
Miigwech
