At Howie, Sacks & Henry we are actively taking part in the reconciliation process by acknowledging and educating ourselves on the history and ongoing impact of residential schools on survivors, their families, and their communities.
To commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we invite you to join us in listening, watching or attending any of the educational courses or events listed below. These all provide important opportunities to learn more about the history of the Canadian residential school system, and the resilience of Indigenous communities.
Another way to show your support and honour the survivors of residential schools is to wear an orange shirt today. Orange Shirt Day was started by survivor Phyllis Jack Webstad to honour the lives of all residential school survivors and create an ongoing conversation to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again.
Educational Resources and Events
The Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre is hosting an Indigenous Legacy Gathering at Nathan Phillips Square on September 30, featuring performances, cultural education workshops and a marketplace with Indigenous artists and food vendors.
The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund is hosting a panel discussion: “Indigenous Perspectives on the Pope’s Apology” on Friday, September 30 at 1:00 pm.
The Woodland Cultural Centre offers a video tour of the Mohawk Institute Residential School on the third Wednesday of every month.
The Canadian Encyclopedia has produced a three-part podcast about the history of the Canadian residential school system, featuring the stories of survivors.
The University of Alberta’s Faculty of Native Studies offers a Massive Open Online Course that explains the histories of Indigenous peoples in Canada and explores contemporary experiences and perspectives, highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations.
The University of Toronto has prepared an online research guide with multiple resources related to “The Indigenous History of Tkaronto.”
First Voices is an online platform where Indigenous communities can share and promote their language, oral culture and linguistic history. Language teams work with elders to curate and upload audio recordings, dictionaries, songs and stories that can be shared with all Canadians.
