The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is hosting a week of workshops, gatherings and educational programming to inform students on the history of Indigenous people across Canada.
While NCTR’s Truth and Reconciliation Week is scheduled for Sept. 23 to 27, events kicked off Wednesday, when 7,000 students from grades eight to 12 gathered at Canada Life Centre to hear Indigenous music, dance and storytelling, and honour the stories of residential school survivors.
The event will be rebroadcast on Sept. 26 for those who request access on the NCTR’s website.
The centre is also offering free educational programming for teachers to use throughout the week, including short films, discussions with elders, and in-person sessions, including one scheduled at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on Sept. 26.
“(The programming is) really exploring the truth behind truth and reconciliation, about keeping or protecting our human rights,” Kaila Johnston, the NCTR’s director of education and public programming, said Thursday. “How do we recognize injustices and how do we use our strengths to do so?”
Adults will have a chance to take in some of the programming as well, through NCTR’s “lunch and learn” webinars, open to the public throughout the week.
Jennifer Wood, the NCTR’s intergovernmental and community relations liaison, said the programming was meant to educate and empower people of all ages.
“I’m always hopeful, I’m always positive. I always like to see a light at the end of the tunnel, and I think that education is the power,” she said.
On Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a 90-minute gathering from Parliament Hill that will pay tribute to residential school survivors and the children who never made it home will be broadcast live on APTN and CBC.