Resources for National Truth and Reconciliation Day

Sep 30

Written By Sofie B

Today is Truth and Reconciliation Day and Orange Shirt Day, our team rounded up some resources to contextualize this day of reflection. In the spirit of reconciliation, today and in future, our team is donating to Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society as well as local community organizations such as the Native Youth Resource Center in Toronto, and Indigenous Friends Association.

Indigenous Friends Association participated in our launch panel and are working to address #7 in the TRC call to actions. They are working to remove educational gaps in many areas, including tech with their education series Indigital - a course that teaches coding with Indigenous pedagogy.

Here at Gradient Spaces, we commit to the work of reconciliation, wholly acknowledging and standing in the truth of past and present wrongs, empowering ourselves and our community with the knowledge and empathy to advocate for a healing and hopeful future.

Reports

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report Findings

https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/

MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ National Action Plan

https://mmiwg2splus-nationalactionplan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2SLGBTQQIA-Report-Final.pdf

Canada’s Residential Schools: The History, Part 1 Origins to 1939 (PDF)

https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Volume_1_History_Part_1_English_Web.pdf

Orange Shirt Day

Watch Phyllis Webstad Orange Shirt Day Presentation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3vUqr01kAk

Read Phyllis Webstad’s Story about Orange Shirt Day

https://www.orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story.html

Learn about the Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages where you live and work

https://native-land.ca/

Shirt Retailers

https://www.orangeshirtday.org/shirt-retailers.html

Courses/Training

University of Alberta free Indigenous Canada course

https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html

Indigenous Cultural Competency Training (paid, for groups or organizations)

https://ofifc.org/training-learning/indigenous-cultural-competency-training-icct/

Indigenous Corporate Training:

Free e-books: https://www.ictinc.ca/free-ebooks
Paid, self-guided training: https://www.ictinc.ca/self-guided-training-pricing

Actions

Donate, support, and advocate for policies that impact Indigenous rights in your area:

Indian Residential School Survivors Society: https://www.irsss.ca/
Indigenous Friends Association https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/indigenous-friends-association/
Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction https://www.torontoindigenoushr.com/
Native Youth Resource Center https://nativechild.org/youth/native-youth-resource-centre/
Orange Shirt Society https://my-site-102728-103753.square.site/

Learn about Local Nations

Learn more about local Nations, community, and resource centers near Toronto. Check out their websites and read about the policies that impact Indigenous rights in your area. Or, if you live outside of Toronto, find which Indigenous lands you reside on here: https://native-land.ca/

Anishnabek Nation

Haudenosaunee Confederacy

Mississauga’s of the Credit First Nation

Mississauga First Nation

Wendake

Communities, education, and resource centres:

Woodland Cultural Center, former site of the Mohawk Institute residential school, closest residential school to Toronto, located in Brantford, ON and the first residential school to be opened in Canada in 1831

https://woodlandculturalcentre.ca/resources/
Resources include: videos, annual report, Save The Evidence campaign, a museum that is open to the public (COVID exceptions)

Peel Aboriginal Network in the closest Friendship Center to Toronto. In 2009, PAN opened as a Cultural Centre to provide a social setting to foster cultural awareness and education, and provide services and support to the Indigenous community in the Region of Peel.

https://ofifc.org/friendship-centre/the-indigenous-network/
To find an Indigenous Friendship Center near you: https://ofifc.org/friendship-centres/find/

The Native Youth Resource Centre provides support and advocacy in the areas of housing, education and employment for Aboriginal youth ages sixteen to twenty-four.