Events and Programs to Mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

city of peterborough photo

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day to honour the children who never returned home, the survivors of residential schools, their families and communities.

“The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an important opportunity to reflect on our histories, learn about the injustices committed against Indigenous communities and dedicate ourselves to contribute toward reconciliation,” stated mayor Jeff Leal. “As a community, we need to take meaningful action to fulfil our collective commitment to reconciliation. I encourage everyone to take part in the activities organized by groups across our community.”

The Every Child Matters flag will be flown at City Hall for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Programs and Activities:

Peterborough Public Library

Adults and Teens

• Sept. 24: Adult Book Club - Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

• Sept. 27: Quilling with Sandra D. Moore

• Oct. 10: Just Get Over It: Exploring Stereotypes, Biases and Racism Between Indigenous Peoples and Settlers

• Oct. 17 - 22: Secret Path Film Viewings

Children

• Sept. 27: PA Day: Rabbit & Bear Paws - The Way with Chad Solomon

• Oct. 17: Indigenous Bilingual Story Time

Peterborough Museum and Archives

The Peterborough Museum and Archives is offering an Every Child Matters and reading centre and children’s activity during the month of September.

It’s also providing Every Child Matters stickers, buttons and bookmarks to encourage participation and learning through its National Day for Truth and Reconciliation activities.

Art Gallery of Peterborough

The exhibition “Watershed” is on display until Oct. 6.

It features work by Mary Anne Barkhouse, John Boyle, Brad Copping, Liz Magor, Stan Olthuis, Amanda Strong and Olivia Whetung.

Other Activities

Canadian Canoe Museum - Sept. 24 from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.: reading, Q&A and book signing of “North of Nowhere, Song of a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner” with Marie Wilson, the 2024 Jack Matthews Fellow.

GreenUP and Kawartha Land Trust - Sept. 25 from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. and Oct. 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Saving Native Seeds is a two-part workshop series.

Learn how to collect and save seed from a variety of native trees, shrubs, forbs, grasses and sedges.

Part I is at Ecology Park and Part II is a field trip to the Dance Nature Sanctuary.

Artspace - Sept. 27 from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.: launch and celebration of the Maker Space Mural, Niimikaage: she/he dances for a purpose, by Anishinaabe artist Josh Morley (Miskopwagan Asin)

Curve Lake First Nation - Sept. 28 (all day): 5th annual Mnoominkewin Gathering at Lime Kiln Park.

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Millennium Park Art Installation Marks Completion of The Nogojiwanong Project

“Gathering,” a new public artwork by Michael Belmore is unveiled in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Millennium Park as part of the Nogojiwanong Project on Thursday.

Photo by Felicia Massey.

The Nogojiwanong Project is a collaboration undertaken in the spirit of kinship between local First Nations, Indigenous peoples and the City of Peterborough in recognition of the 200th anniversary of Rice Lake Treaty No. 20. Through the collaboration, a gathering space was created in 2019. The space encourages learning and reflection through a series of interpretive panels highlighting the evolution of local treaties and inherent rights of Indigenous peoples.

“Gathering” consists of a grouping of glacial erratic boulders, carved and fitted to sit slightly apart, giving the appearance of heat radiating. The stones are embellished with the Treaty 20 Clan Dodems.

Michael Belmore’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, represented in numerous private collections and in the permanent collections of various institutions including the Art Gallery of Ontario and the National Gallery of Canada. Photo by Felicia Massey

“This work at the water’s edge is a kind of collaboration between human and rock, between human lifetime and geological time, or deep time. These stones were moved and rounded by glacial forces a millennia ago,” said Michael Belmore, Anishinaabe artist. “I am deeply honoured that through this project, Gathering can speak to our continued journey.”

The display is located next to the Trans Canada Trail near the south end of Water Street. The piece marks the completion of the Nogojiwanong Project.

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Electric City Culture Council Highlights Resources To Promote Truth And Reconciliation On National Indigenous Peoples Day

June is National Indigenous History Month, and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. In hopes to encourage education, Electric City Culture Council (EC3) has compiled a list of resources they invite the public to read, watch and listen to.

Pow Wow in Curve Lake, 2014. File Photo.

These resources will help individuals learn about Indigenous history, peoples, and culture, as well as the legacy of Canada’s treatment of Indigenous people.

Learn

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission delivered its report and 94 calls to action. These calls provide a roadmap to start this country on the path towards healing.

Look at Canadian Artists' Representation (CARFAC)’s website Indigenous Protocols for the Visual Arts, which includes toolkits and discussions for arts administrators, curators, and programmers around respectful engagement with Indigenous art and artists. Those interested can also watch the Ontario Arts Council’s video about the importance of Indigenous arts protocols.

The Government of Canada has set up a learning portal full of resources to learn more about the history, cultures, and experiences of Canada’s Indigenous peoples.

To get a sense of the Indigenous peoples and languages across Canada (and around the world), as well as the treaties that affect them, Native Land Digital is a massive, interactive map that presents detailed information about this land’s peoples in a visually striking way.

For several years, the University of Alberta has offered their first-year survey course Indigenous Canada to audit online for free. This intro course is taught by Indigenous instructors and informed by work with Indigenous Elders and leaders.

Locally, the Nogojiwanong Project offers a series of interpretive panels highlighting the evolution of local treaties and inherent rights of Indigenous peoples in the area, on permanent display down at Millennium Park.

Watch

Explore the work of Indigenous artists and creators, with the lists of books, movies, podcasts, and more below.

The National Film Board has a list of Indigenous Cinema available to watch for free through their website. Those subscribed to CAMPUS through an educational institution can also access additional learning resources for many of the films.

CBC has put together two excellent resources lists: one of Indigenous-themed podcasts that explore the diversity of Indigenous cultures, as well as Indigenous history; and a comprehensive list of 35 books to read for National Indigenous History Month.

The Government of Canada’s #IndigenousReads is an extensive reading list of works by Indigenous authors and about Indigenous topics. This list was set up to encourage reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples by sharing Indigenous literature.

The Downie Wenjack Fund is hosting a series of four Indigenous History Month events online this month. The events feature Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, artists, and allies from Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick, and conclude with a special Canada-wide episode.

Last year, Peterborough’s own GreenUP published A top 10 summer listening list for truth and reconciliation on KawarthaNOW.

Heal

Those in need of healing, specifically Indigenous people, review the list below.

Talk4Healing offers 24/7 help, support and resources for Indigenous women, by Indigenous women, all across Ontario.

Hope for Wellness Helpline provides 24/7 culturally grounded assessment, referrals, support in times of crisis, and suicide intervention. Service languages include Ojibway, Cree, Inuktut, English, and French. Call 1-855-242-3310

Native Women’s Association of Canada’s Elder Support Line. Available Monday-Friday 9AM-11AM EST & 1PM-3PM EST, Canada-wide. Call 1-888-664-7808.

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s Supports for Survivors, including support lines across Canada. Call 1-888-301-6426 in Ontario.

Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program, offered by the Government of Canada as part of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement: 1-866-925-4419

Local organization: Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle provides counselling and healing services for Indigenous women and their families.

Teach

For those with young ones, these resources will help children explore and learn about Indigenous history and culture.

TVO Kids’ Indigenous Peoples Day page is full of useful resources, including activities, videos, and games. Also take a look at their Sharing Stories page, with a reading list of picture books about Indigenous peoples.

The Ottawa Public Library offers a Teaching Toolkit for National Indigenous History Month. A variety of great resources for teaching young ones.

CBC Kidsnews offers an excellent explainer video, “National Indigenous History Month: When did it start and what is it?”.

Lovevery’s blog post “How to discuss injustice toward Indigenous Peoples with your children, age 0 – 8” is thoughtfully written, and includes links to a number of children’s books about Indigenous history, as well as links to additional resources.

Support

Canada Helps offers a list of Indigenous charities that can be supported with donations. This link includes local organizations, the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, the Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle, and the Peterborough Native Learning Program.

Join

Here is a list of events happening locally for Indigenous History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day.

Curve Lake First Nation is offering programming throughout the day on Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, including self-guided history walks, videos, a sunrise ceremony, drive-through lunch, movie matinee, and fireworks at dusk. See more details.

Two local organizations that provide services to Indigenous peoples, the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre and Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle are coming together for a celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day and Summer Solstice on June 21, including a sacred fire, meal, craft vendors, and traditional dancers. The Friendship Centre will also be hosting a Sunrise Ceremony at dawn on the same day.

The Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival, the world’s first Indigenous fringe festival, returns June 21 to 26 at Trent University, and it kicks off with a Community Picnic for Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, with food and entertainment. This is followed by five days of events, including theatre, dance, burlesque, spoken word, songs, and stories. Check out the full schedule of events.

For Indigenous History Month, the Peterborough Public Library has selected The Strangers by Katherena Vermette as the book for their Adult Book Club. This book is a searing exploration of race, class, inherited trauma, and matrilineal bonds that – despite everything – refuse to be broken. The Book Club meets June 28 at the library.

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What You Can Do To Honour Truth and Reconciliation Day

Canada will mark the first ever National Truth and Reconciliation Day on Thursday. The day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities.

Curve Lake First Nations Pow Wow, 2014. File Photo.

The creation of this federal statutory holiday was through legislative amendments made by Parliament on June 3, 2021.

National Truth and Reconciliation Day was formerly known as Orange Shirt Day, which was established in 2013 to raise awareness about the damaging effects the residential school system had on Indigenous communities.

Canadians are encouraged to purchase their orange shirts through Indigenous-owned organizations, and from designers whose proceeds contribute to Indigenous resources.

There are local events happening on Thursday to honour the day.

Curve Lake First Nation:

• Storytelling Gathering 6:30 p.m. at Lance Wood Park, 2251 Birch Island Rd, Lakefield.

Members of the community are invited to gather under the Pow Wow arbour to to share their songs, stories, poems and drum beats. It is an open mic style event with everyone welcome to participate.

Their sacred fire will be burning from sunrise until the end of the event.

• Every Child Matters Walk 12 p.m. Curve Lake First Nation Community Centre

  In recognition and remembrance of those lost, and those that survived residential schools. The walk will start and end at the community centre Please wear an orange shirt.

Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, 580 Cameron St.:

• Sacred fire and book reading 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

  There will be two readings of Phyillis Webstad's book: The Orange Shirt Story at 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm. There will also be a canvas banner that can be signed to commemorate relatives.

  This event is open to all but due to COVID-19, please respect social distance guidelines and masks are mandatory. The centre can only host 20 people including staff in the backyard, so it is asked that you limit your time and reserve a space with Rebekah wellness@nogofc.ca

Hiawatha First Nation, 431, Hiawatha Line:

• Community gathering 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.

  This free event is open to Hiawatha First Nations Citizens on and off territory, residents of Hiawatha, Hiawatha First Nations staff, their family and household. The evening will include an opening prayer and smudging, remarks from Chief Carr, a barbeque and more.

  To register to attend or to volunteer to help contact Jill Stevens at 705-295-4421 or ecdev@hiawathafn.ca

  This is an outdoor event, COVID protocols are in place. Those attending are encouraged to wear their regalia or an orange shirt.

Trent University:

• Treaty Rock unveiling at Trent Peterborough Campus, Bata Bus Loop from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

• Gzowski College Three Sisters Community Lunch at 12:00 p.m. while supplies last

• First Peoples House of Learning Orange Shirt event at the traditional arena from 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Sacred fire will be burning from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

National Centre for Truth and Reconcilliation, Online:

• 11:30 a.m.Beyond Orange Shirt Day reading by Phyllis Webstad

• 1:00 PM Being William (French) (VR Experience) by Jason Brennan

Live Videos will be played on the NCTR YouTube Channel

For more online resources visit the links below.

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund

The National Student Memorial Register, created to remember and honour the children who never returned home from residential schools.

University of Alberta Indigenous Canada course is a free, 12-lesson, online course that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada.

CBC Music will be dedicating it’s programming from 6 a.m. to midnight to Indigenous music.

This is only a small list of online resources available to learn about Truth and Reconciliation day and the residential school system.

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Fleming Congratulates Students That Completed their Indigenous Perspectives Designation

Fleming College along with members of the Indigenous community hosted a special event to recognize students who completed an Indigenous Perspectives Designation (IPD) on July 9.

Aerial shot of Fleming Sutherland Campus. Photo Courtesy of Fleming College.

The IPD gives students the chance to learn about Indigenous perspectives, peoples, cultures, histories, traditions and contributions to our shared society. To graduate with an IPD it is required that they take discipline-specific Indigenous curriculum in each semester, beyond what is already required in the two mandatory Indigenous Studies courses, as well as experiential Indigenous activities.

“Very proud of the IPD graduates and faculty who work hard each year to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy into their learning,” said Elizabeteh Stone, Academic Chair for Indigenous Studies at Fleming. “This is reconcili-action! As described by the Downie Wenjack Foundation: ‘A ReconciliACTION is a meaningful action that moves reconciliation forward. ReconciliACTIONs aim to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together in the spirit of reconciliation to create awareness, share and learn.’ Nishin Graduates.”

The IPD is available to students enrolled in certain programs. For more information click here.

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Local Peterborough Businesses Donate Canada Day Sales For Indigenous Issues

Peterborough businesses have donated proceeds during Canada Day and the following weekend in support of Indigenous causes.

Mohawk children cheering for Team Haudenosaunee at the 2019 World U19 Women's Field Lacrosse Championships at Justin Chiu Stadium at Trent University in Peterborough. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Planet, Silver Bean Café, KitCoffee, The Night Kitchen, Le Petit Bar and St. Veronus were participating restaurants that have donated a portion of their earnings made on Canada Day or the following weekend.

The inspiration came after the trending hashtag #CancelCanadaDay surfaced as a part of truth and reconciliation for Indigenous people. Community members would not celebrate the country’s anniversary and reflected Canada’s involvement of Residental Schools’ treatment towards Indigenous people until the 1980’s.

The Planet and Silver Bean Café have donated 25 per cent of their Canada Day proceeds to Legacy of Hope Foundation; an Indigenous charity to educate and create awareness and understanding about the Residental School System according to their website.

“The recent news of more mass graves being discovered at residential schools is so upsetting,” said The Planet on a Facebook post. “We can't change the past but we can work towards a better future.”

Mohawk children ran across the stands flying the Six Nations flag after every Team Haudenosaunee goal. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

KitCoffee is donating all its Canada Day profits to the Indian Residential School Survivor Society (IRSSS); an organization that provides services to Indian Residental School Survivors.

Le Petit Bar and St. Veronus are donating 15 percent of all their weekend sales towards IRSSS. In addition to them, The Night Kitchen donated all their Tuesday proceeds to Mnoominkewin festival held in Curve Lake during the month of September.

Donations to Legacy of Hope Foundation and IRSSS can be made on their official websites.

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13 Historical Facts About Indigenous People In Peterborough Area

Peterborough and the Kawarthas has an amazing native history and culture. Thanks to Rosanna Haroutounian for compiling this listicle for us...

Hiawatha church, 1954

1. Peterborough is the native territory of the Anishinaabeg, a group of indigenous people comprised of the Ojibwa, Odawa, Potawatami, Chippewa, Mississauga, Algonquin, and Delaware communities who controlled the Great Lakes Basin since the late 1600s.

2. Before it became known as Peterborough, the area was called Nogojiwanong, Ojibwa for “place at the end of rapids.”

3. The shores of the Odenabe River were a gathering place for indigenous people. Odenabe, or Otonabee, means “river that beats like a heart.”

4. Anishinaabemowin was widely spoken by the indigenous people in the area before indigenous languages and cultural practices were replaced by English and Christianity through the residential school system.

Eagle painting

5. Through the treaties and land claims processes, Hiawatha First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Alderville First Nation, and the Mississaugas of Scugog First Nation have been established in the Peterborough area. These nations refer to themselves officially as Mississaugas.

6.  By some accounts, the Mississaugas moved to southern Ontario, including the Peterborough area, from their homeland north of Lake Huron at the start of the 1700s. According to Curve Lake First Nation, however, the Mississaugas were originally from the Peterborough area. They migrated to the Mississauga River at the North shore of Lake Huron in the mid 1600s. They lived there temporarily to avoid disease and conflict resulting from British and French competition over the fur trade.

7. When Elsie Knott became chief of Curve Lake First Nation in 1954, she became the first Anishnaabe Kwe O’gimaa, or Native Female Chief, in Canada.

8. The first Mission House in Peterborough County was built at Rice Lake, present-day Hiawatha First Nation, in 1823. The Mission house, or church, was Methodist. It became Hiawatha United between 1925 and 1929.

Hiawatha Community Hall, 1954

9. Nathan Baggs, the first Methodist Missionary in Western Ontario, baptized Chief Paudash and most of his band at present-day Hiawatha First Nation in about 1820.

10. When Trent University established the Indian-Eskimo Studies Program in 1969, it became the first university in North America to have a department dedicated to the study of Aboriginal people. The program became the Department of Native Studies in 1972, leading the way for other native studies programs in Canada.

Hiawatha school, 1954

11. In 1978, Trent became the first Canadian university to establish a four-year Indigenous Studies Bachelor of Arts honours program, and in 1986, the Department of Native Studies at Trent worked with the Trent Frost Centre for Native Studies and Canadian Studies to develop the first Master of Arts program in Native Studies.

12. The first Native Studies PhD program in Canada was launched at Trent University in 1997. Its first graduates were awarded PhDs in 2005. In 2006, the Department of Native Studies changed its name to Indigenous Studies.

13. As part of the new four-year indigenous studies program, courses in the Anishnaabe and Mohawk languages were offered for the first time at a Canadian university. Trent University hired elders as course instructors to teach language and indigenous culture courses.

—guest post by Rosanna Haroutounian

[photos via hiawathafirstnation.com]

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