Tomorrow, Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, all of us are called to reflect upon the tragic legacy of the Canadian residential school system. One reason that this day has particular significance for us at McGill is because education – our main reason for being – had a harmful impact on Indigenous peoples, including their ties with their cultures and families.
Ten years after the TRC recommendations
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the final report on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), led by the late Honourable Murray Sinclair. The Commission’s 94 Calls to Action provided our country with a path towards reconciliation and served as a blueprint for institutions like McGill to rebuild their relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, notably with our Indigenous students, faculty and staff and proximate communities. In accordance with one of our many commitments, McGill will be flying the Hiawatha Wampum Belt flag tomorrow.
Progress on the McGill Calls to Action
McGill’s own 52 Calls to Action are intended to raise awareness and to bring about positive change in the spirit of truth and reconciliation. Recent successes include:
- The launch of a new Bachelor of Social Work in partnership with the Cree School Board.
- Faculty reconciliation work, including the Desautels Faculty of Management efforts to bolster recruitment and retention of Indigenous instructors and students.
- The opening of new spaces like Onkwanaktí:io, in the Arthur Currie Gym, and the new Y-intersection, which features an art installation designed by a Haudenosaunee artist, brought to life through collaboration among units like Facilities Management and Indigenous faculty, staff and local Indigenous communities.
- The establishment of the Faculty of Arts’s Institute of Indigenous Research and Knowledge.
There are many more examples so please take some time to read the 2023-2024 Annual Progress Report, produced by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives.
Participate and learn more
Though tomorrow is the last official day of Indigenous Awareness Weeks (IAW), it is not too late to take part. The entire McGill community is invited to join the Faculty of Education's annual We Will Walk Together / Skátne Entewathahíta event and “Stories That Shape Us,” with Elma Moses. We will also be marking a milestone for the Office of First Nations and Inuit Education (OFNIE). We will celebrate and honour 50 years of work by partners and McGill community members who have made this program a tremendous success.
Finally, whether you are a student, faculty or staff member, please visit OII’s webpages for more on McGill’s commitment to truth and reconciliation and for resources available to support your journey in this national process.