Truth & Reconciliation Week

This is an important week for Canada as the first Truth and Reconciliation Week is underway, leading to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Thursday.

For almost four years, the HSCDSB have been acknowledging the traditional lands on which our schools and Board buildings sit.  This was a simple way to begin the process of speaking the truth and working toward reconciliation with our Indigenous brothers and sisters.  With the announcement of the first National Week of Truth and Reconciliation, we want to grow our awareness and dedicate ourselves once more to the Calls to Action from the TRC report.

Although our school communities strive every day to include Indigenous teachings and culture, this week there will be an added focus on ensuring our Indigenous students, staff, and partners know that their experiences and voices are integral to Catholic education.

This week our schools are starting the day, as usual, with a land acknowledgement.   This is followed by a prayer focusing on healing the wrongs of the Residential School system and playing the national anthem sung in Ojibway and/or Cree and other indigenous languages.

Special events on Thursday, the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will include visits by indigenous leaders and elders who will lead conversations about Residential Schools, smudging, traditional drumming and other indigenous culture activities.

As mentioned, the board’s school communities have already been taking action to ensure indigenous feel included and heard and we will continue to do so throughout this school year and beyond.