WATCH — What does reconciliation mean?
Think of it as learning from the past and trying to do better
⭐️HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW⭐️
- Reconciliation is the opportunity to heal a broken relationship between non-Indigenous and Indigenous people in Canada.
- One attempt at reconciliation was the launch of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2008 that listened to the stories of more than 6,500 residential school survivors and their families.
- The commission finished its project in 2015 and presented 94 calls to action, or things we can all do better to help fix that relationship.
- Watch the video to hear about some calls to action. ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
Have you heard the word reconciliation before?
It comes up a lot around Orange Shirt Day, which is marked every year on Sept. 30 as a day to raise awareness about the horror faced by Indigenous people who were forced to attend Canadian residential schools.
In 2021, Canada announced that Sept. 30 would officially be called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and federal workers would be given the day off in order to acknowledge that history.
But back to the word reconciliation. What does it even mean?
Maybe you’ve tried to Google it. Here’s what comes up: To reconcile or restore friendly relations.
In this case, the goal of reconciliation is to heal the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.
What does that look like?
Click play to watch CBC Kids News contributor Isabel DeRoy Olson explain:
- The history of reconciliation.
- The two groups involved in making the process work.
- A brief explanation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
- An overview of the commission’s 94 calls to action.
- What you can do to make a difference.
Looking for support?
A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. The 24-hour national crisis line is: 1-866-925-4419.
Kids can also call the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.
Have more questions? We'll look into it for you. Email us at cbckidsnews@cbc.ca.
TOP IMAGE CREDIT: Philip Street/CBC
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