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National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation unveils Survivors’ Flag

2021-09-23 /
The Survivors’ Flag

The Survivors’ Flag

» Truth and Reconciliation Week is September 27 — October 1, 2021
#EveryChildMatters

September 30, 2021 marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It will be a statutory holiday for those in B.C., Nova Scotia, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) unveils a new Survivors’ Flag to mark the first official National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

This commemorative flag was created by Survivors to share their expression of remembrance with the broader public and to honour all residential school Survivors, families, and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada. The flag was developed through six weeks of consultation, discussion and collaboration with Inuit, Mi’kmaq, Atikamekw, Cree, Ojibway, Dakota, Mohawk, Dene, Nuu-chah-nulth, Secwepemc, and Métis Survivors.

“Earlier this year, the discoveries of unmarked burials at former residential schools compelled many Survivors to reflect on remembrance — of the experiences they survived and of their fellow students who did not return home,” said Stephanie Scott, Executive Director of the NCTR. “The Survivor’s flag represents the thoughts, emotions, experiences and hopes expressed by Survivors who have shared their truths about residential schools. The flag affirms commitment to the remembrance of the lives lost through, and the lives impacted by the residential school system.”

With support from the Government of Canada, the NCTR will distribute official flags to Survivors who contributed to its design and to a number of Indigenous organizations to incorporate into the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation events.

“As children, Survivors were told they couldn’t be who they were because they were Indigenous. We were made to believe we were not good enough,” said Wanbdi Wakita, Dakota Survivor and contributor to the Survivors’ Flag, “As a veteran, to be honoured with a flag has special significance. I will bring this flag with me to gatherings and ceremonies. I hope Canadians will also incorporate the flag into their own gatherings in the future to mark remembrance.”

The NCTR also encourages everyone to find a way to participate by wearing orange, watching national events, or promoting learning at their school or place of work if they are not marking the statutory holiday.

The Survivors flag will also soon be available for purchase to the general public, including in additional formats, such as car flags, window decals, and lawn signs.

To learn more about the Survivor’s Flag and the design visit the Survivor’s Flag Exhibit

More at » CBC

It’s not easy to cover Indigenous communities. Here’s why you must.

2021-09-22 /

Jackleen de La Harpe and Cynthia-Lou Coleman, Poynter »

In mainstream U.S. news, coverage of Indigenous communities is sporadic, uneven and barely visible.

…

Central to the modern context is the 100-year legacy of residential schools, beginning with the Indian Act of 1876 and extending through most of the 20th century, when more than 150,000 children were sequestered, many stolen from their homes without their family’s or community’s permission. Residential schools were part of the government’s goal to assimilate Indigenous people by severing them from their culture, language and stories, coupled with the notion that was the basis of residential schools in the late 1800s: to save the child, you must kill the Indian. These actions are another way to describe genocide.

The Globe and Mail article patiently described a social structure imposed by governments that failed Native citizens, embodied by this family’s hardships — when things go wrong, then right, then wrong again — when people navigate the ups and downs of love, domestic violence, drugs and jail to become ensnared in a formal bureaucracy. The story described a social system that doesn’t work.

In today’s mainstream U.S. news, coverage of Indigenous communities — challenges and strengths — is sporadic, uneven and barely visible. Consider, for example, mental health, which is not well understood in popular media. Thanks to recent coverage of celebrities such as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan) and champion tennis player, Naomi Osaka, narratives are emerging that help destigmatize mental conditions.

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The Legacy of the residential school system » Commemorating a tragic and defining event in Canada’s history

2021-09-10 /
The Legacy of the Residential School System: An Event of National Historic Significance

Parks Canada via YouTube »

A tragedy born from colonial policies in Canada’s history, the Residential School System was imposed on Indigenous peoples to assimilate them, and destroy their cultures and identities. By the time the last school closed in the late 1990s, it is estimated that at least 150,000 First Nation, Inuit, and Métis children had attended federally-run residential schools.

By recognizing the national historic significance of the Residential School System, the Government of Canada is acknowledging the past, and, with Indigenous peoples and communities, is committed to sharing the experiences of Indigenous children in these schools to ensure that this history is never forgotten.

Cette vidéo est aussi disponible en français.

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