Friday, September 30, marks the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a federal statutory holiday which gives the public a chance to recognize and commemorate the intergenerational harm that residential schools have caused to Indigenous families and communities, and to honour those who have been affected by this injustice.

The federal statutory holiday was made in response to call number 80 of the 94 Calls to Action established in 2015 by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Calls to Action report, which reads: “We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process”.

While we recognize that this day is an important step towards reconciliation, we also acknowledge that reconciliation is an ongoing process which requires all Canadians to work towards dismantling colonial practices and supporting the completion of all 94 Calls to Action.

There is a wide variety of McMaster related events hosted across campus in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. For more details visit https://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/ and Indigenous Studies Department

List of readings about Indigenous history, colonization, and reconciliation in Canada:

Readings and Reports:

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007

Understanding Aboriginal Arts in Canada Today: A Knowledge & Literature Review, 2011, France Trepanier and Chris Creighton, for the Canada Council for the Arts

Honouring the Truth, Reconciling the Future, 2015, Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, 1989, Peggy McIntosh

Decolonization is not a metaphor, 2012, Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang

Turning the Page: Forging new Partnerships Between Museums and First Peoples, Task Force on Museums and First Peoples, 1987-1994

Troubling Good Intentions, 2013, Sarah de Leeuw et al

A phenomenology of whiteness, 2011, Sara Ahmed

White Fragility, 2011, Robin DiAngelo

Decolonizing the Art Museum, The Next Wave, 2018, Olga Viso for The New York Times

What Does it Mean to Decolonize a Museum, Elisa Shoenberger, 2021, MuseumNext

Offensive Artwork Titles in Canadian Museums: What’s in a

Name?, Rosie Prata, 2016, Canadian Art

Books:

21 Things you may not know about the Indian Act, Bob Joseph, 2018.

Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality, Bob Joseph, 2019.

Children of the Broken Treaty: Canada’s Lost Promise and One Girl’s Dream, Charlie Angus, 2015.