1 
0 Written by Harley Galarneau
Reconciliation is the reflexive and necessary steps needed to understand the oppressive structures placed upon Indigenous people since first contact; not some monster sent out to steal our understanding of history, nor guilt us into submission. In reality, true reconciliation aspires to a future of healing and solidarity for all. The degree to which a community needs healing varies based on its past, and simply because ours requires a few extra steps to understand, it does not make us less. Rather, reconciliation provides us the opportunity to grow as people and as communities. It is our treaty and human duties to further ourselves civically towards recolonization. Though, before we can develop how to partake in impactful reconciliation, it is important to understand what reconciliation entails, and more specifically, what reconciliation is more than.
Beyond Truth & Reconciliation Day (TRC): A Broader Lens
While TRC day is specific to the mourning and honouring of those impacted by Residential Schools, the reconciliation facilitated upon it is not solely finite to this raw event in Canadian history. It encompasses the acknowledgement and healing of all assimilation and oppression tactics imposed upon Indigenous people.
We encourage you to learn more about the following historical and present issues:
- Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW)
- The Starlight Tours
- The 60s Scoop
- The 1928 Sexual Sterilization Act
- The Indian Act
- The Numbered Treaties
- The Red River & NorthWest Resistances
- The Oka Crisis
- The Red Paper
Reconciliation exists on an intersectional plane of research and action, and so we also suggest you review the direct connections, importances, and illustrations of two-spirited and queer individuals within Indigenous cultures and societies, the long-term effects of blood quantum toward Indigeneity, and the cruciality of uplifting Indigenous joy and excellence within your solidarity.
Engaging in Community and Culture
Attend Ceremonies and Powwows
Canada is 158 years old, and Indigenous ceremonies and dances have been banned for 53% of that history. Attend a powwow open to the public. Pay attention to the emotions depicted by the performers and audiences, the significance of their ability to celebrate. Notice the beauty in the dances and ceremonies. How does that beauty differ from what you were taught about Indigenous cultures and ceremonies growing up?
Support Indigenous Arts and Businesses
Indigenous excellence has long been repressed by colonial powers. Interact and support Indigenous art, businesses, films, movements, and celebrations of culture and identity. Visit Indigenous showcases and art exhibits at the Casa Art Gallery in Downtown Lethbridge, or within the Hess Gallery and Christou Gallery at the University. What can you take from the displays, and how will you carry their memories?
Listen to Indigenous Knowledge and Storytelling
Knowledge and oral storytelling is a pivotal key to the revitalization of Indigenous cultures. Visit any of the free lectures and events hosted by the university’s All My Relations Club. Listen to elders’ stories and passions. How can you best engage with the knowledge shared with you? How can you reflect, appreciate, and uplift Indigenous storytelling moving forward?
Learn from Local Museums and Treaties
Lethbridge is very fortunate to have the Galt Museum & Archives so accessible for our enrichment. Check out their events and interactive exhibits. Learn what the Buffalo Treaty is, and its significance to the conservation of this land. Apply your new knowledge within your own interactions with the land. What about the Buffalo Treaty can you apply to your life and behaviours?
Storytelling as Decolonization
Storytelling is fundamental to decolonization. Read reports and books such as:
- 94 Calls To Action TRC Commission Report
- 231 Calls To Justice Report
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- 21 Things You Didn’t Know About The Indian Act by Bob Joseph
- If I Go Missing by Brianna Jonnie
- White Tears, Brown Scars by Ruby Hamad
- Genocidal Love by Bevann Fox
- The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
- Heartberries by Terese Marie Mailhot
- From The Ashes by Jesse Thistle
- The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Do you notice a difference in storytelling from other Western literature? How can you apply the lessons and meanings behind these writings to your own interpretation of the world and land?
Practicing Reconcili-Action
Practice makes perfect, so practice reconciliation at every opportunity; every moment is an opportunity for reconciliation. Ignorance is a choice, not one of malice nor hatred, rather one of purposeful negligence. Reconciliation has to be a conscious decision we make everyday.
What will your Reconcili-Action be?
