National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - September 30, 2021
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
September 30, 2021
2 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation • The federal government recently passed legislation to make September 30th a federal statutory holiday. • It recognizes and commemorates the intergenerational harm residential schools have caused to Indigenous families and communities, and to honour those who have been affected. • Intended to be a day of reflection (not unlike Remembrance Day) • Responds to Call to Action #80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. • September 30th is also known as Orange Shirt Day. It invites Canadians to wear orange shirts to honour survivors of residential schools, their families, and their communities.
3 Residential Schools in Canada • Between 1831 and 1996, an estimated 150,000 Indigenous children across Canada were removed from their homes and enrolled in government-sponsored religious schools, in order to assimilate them into Euro-Canadian culture. • Survivor accounts report widespread physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. Malnourishment and overcrowding were prevalent. • An estimated 6,000 children died while attending these schools. Given the recent confirmation of unmarked graves at former residential school sites in Canada, it may be some time before an accurate death toll is determined. • Major causes of recorded deaths included disease (tuberculosis, influenza, pneumonia) and fires (due to poorly constructed buildings and inadequate fire escapes). However, in close to 50% of cases, there is no recorded cause of death.
4 Residential Schools in the Western Arctic • Experiences were both similar and different to the rest of Canada. • Children taken from parents and separated from families (sometimes for years), while other families relocated to be with their children. Some were: • Brought off the land to attend community-based schools (e.g. Kugluktuk) • Sent south (e.g. Yellowknife, Fort Simpson, Edmonton) or elsewhere (e.g. Inuvik) • Students often educated in alien languages and settings, living in institutions that were underfunded and understaffed, where harsh discipline, disease, and abuse occurred. • Experiences varied by person and school (e.g. church vs. government-run schools). • When some children returned to their communities, they were estranged from their parents, their language, and their culture. The removal of children added to the damage already done by other major economic and demographic changes. • Intergenerational trauma and loss of culture from the residential school experience is still being experienced to this day.
5 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada • Launched in 2008 and tasked with investigating the extent of the residential school system and its impacts while developing a path to reconciliation between Indigenous communities and Canadians. • Following six years of research and consultation, the TRC produced a six-volume report in 2015, which includes 94 Calls to Action designed to enable meaningful and long-term reconciliation. • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally accepted the report, issued a statement of apology on behalf of the Government of Canada, and called for the renewal of the relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples.
6
Statement by Minister Bennett on the Anniversary of the Truth and
Reconciliation Final Report
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0iuGsGGe2I7
What does Truth and Reconciliation mean for the Mining Industry?
• While Truth and Reconciliation helps ensure the tragic history and ongoing legacy of
residential schools is never forgotten, it is also symbolic of the broader need for all
Canadians to:
• Demonstrate greater respect for, and engagement with, Indigenous peoples and cultures
• Acknowledge historic injustices and discrimination Indigenous peoples continue to face, and avoid
their repetition
• Support and empower Indigenous peoples to regain strength in traditions and culture, and develop
healthy families
• Support broader family and community healing and reconciliation initiatives
• Canada’s major mining associations and companies all have programs and initiatives
supporting Indigenous engagement.
• Canada’s mining industry play an important role in Indigenous engagement:
• Largest industrial employer of Indigenous peoples in Canada
• Significant Indigenous business involvement in sector
• Projects located throughout Canada8 What does Truth and Reconciliation mean for Sabina? It means… • Acknowledging we are visitors in Nunavut • Our project is located on Inuit Owned Land and within a signed land claim, the Nunavut Agreement • Inuit and other Indigenous peoples have used the Project area for many generations • Honouring our commitments • Meaningful community engagement • Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement (e.g. employment, training, contracting, and community benefits) • Supporting the socio-economic development and wellness of surrounding communities • Demonstrating respect in an ongoing manner • Practicing humility, adapting our approach, and acknowledging when we need to learn more • Demonstrating continued respect for Inuit culture, in part through cultural awareness initiatives • Continuing to meaningfully communicate with Inuit employees, communities, and working groups • Continual improvement of our operations
9 Team Reflections on Truth and Reconciliation • Janet Kadlun – Senior Indigenous Affairs Coordinator, Kugluktuk • James Maxwell – Director, Exploration • John Kaiyogana – Community Liaison Officer, Cambridge Bay
10 Discussion • What should Truth and Reconciliation mean to Sabina and the mining industry? • What can Sabina do to honour Truth and Reconciliation now and in the future? • How can Sabina honour Truth and Reconciliation every day, not just on September 30th? Sabina’s management and community engagement team is always available to answer questions that Sabina staff may have.
11 Resources Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Reports • https://nctr.ca/records/reports/#trc-reports Reconciliation: A Starting Point Mobile App • https://csps-efpc.gc.ca/tools/apps/ils/index-eng.aspx • Available through the Apple App Store and Google Play Orange Shirt Day • https://www.orangeshirtday.org/
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
You can also read
