Intertribal Smoke Signals: Truth and Reconciliation deserves its own day
By DAVID RESTOULE on September 21, 2021.
Ahnni, Boozhoo, Tansi, Tanshi, Oki, Aho, Hello and greetings cousins. This week I am going to write about the new National Day of Truth and Reconciliation that has been arbitrarily placed on top of Orange Shirt Day. I am pleased the government was willing to put a national day to recognize the residential school children who were buried in unmarked graves and who were never found. I am most likely not alone in wondering why they did not consult any Indigenous people about where to put the day. I know that the issues are similar, however every Orange Shirt campaign that’s been doing well and getting momentum is now buried or washed away by putting the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on top of it. This also puts everyone back to the drawing board to fabricate some kind of event or new way of honoring the day. I also hope people take the time to reflect on those residential school survivors, their children and grandchildren because all of us are still affected in some way by the dark legacy of those residential schools. I would recommend that this new national holiday be spent working on one or more relationships with an Indigenous person in your life. You could also attend an event that is happening in your area and please spread some kindness to each other. I look forward to building reconciliation every day going forward. Baa maa pii, See you next time. Eagle who sees far. David Restoule is the Indigenous support services specialist at Medicine Hat College. 12-11
