We mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, 2021. Members of the King’s community, particularly settler Canadians, are exploring ways to bring the work of decolonization and reconciliation to their everyday practice. The resources below include information on how to bring this work and practice into your scholarly pursuits, financial choices, daily life, and relationship to the land.
It is important to recognize that some of the information presented on these websites could have a strong impact on you. This is a Day filled with grief and all of its accompanying stages and emotions. Please be aware of your emotional response to this material and seek supports as needed.
For Indigenous members of our community these websites, and this Day itself, can be triggering and harmful. For settlers, the discomfort that learning about and engaging in reconciliation creates is necessary. The work of reconciliation is urgent and ongoing. Consider how to care for yourself in ways that will create an ability to engage in discussion, action, and reflection on reconciliation in a sustainable way.
Settlers who are salaried can consider what it means to profit from paid holidays like the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Canada Day. How can this financial gain directly tied to colonialism be put back into the hands of Indigenous people and communities?