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Truth and Reconciliation Committee set to host ‘Speaker Series’

The Truth and Reconciliation Committee, in partnership with Southwest Multicultural Association, will  be hosting its fourth annual recognition event with a “Truth and Reconciliation: Speaker Series” in  March 2021. Three events will offer separate presentations that will focus on the meaning and  definition of reconciliation, the next steps that will help to create a better relationship between all  people, with the objective to continue a well-informed journey towards reconciliation. 

The Committee is pleased to offer perspectives from the national, provincial and local levels from three  well-known advocates on reconciliation. The events will be held on March 3, 10 and 17. 

The first session on March 3 will include a presentation from the Honourable Murray Sinclair. Senator  Sinclair was the first Aboriginal Judge appointed in Manitoba and the second in Canada. He served as  Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in Manitoba and as Chief Commissioner of the federal Truth  and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).  

On March 10, Zoey Roy will join the event to provide her self-analysis on reconciliation. Zoey is a poet,  community-based educator, artist and author based in Saskatoon. Her Cree-Denis-Metis roots and  career as an artist give her a unique insight into working with Indigenous and Canadian youth in pursuit  of reconciliation. She is passionate about enabling people to reach their potential by eliminating  barriers. 

The third event within the Speaker Series will see Mary Culbertson and Zoey Roy presenting. In 2018,  Mary became the first female Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan. She is a member of the  Keeseekoose First Nation and has over 20 years of professional experience working in federal, provincial  and territorial governments and with Indigenous organizations. 

Each day will include a closed morning presentation for the Chinook School Division, where students will  take an active role in facilitating the event while several students will present their own reconciliation  journeys. A live presentation (open to the public) at the Chinook Regional Library in Swift Current will be  hosted at 1:45 PM on each of the three days, with a recorded viewing available after the live sessions.  Virtual access to the live broadcast afternoon sessions and recorded viewings will be available via a  YouTube link found by visiting the Truth and Reconciliation Swift Current’s new website at www.trc swsk.ca. Additional information can be found at greatplainscollege.ca/news-and-events.  

“A Canada-wide survey completed in 2016 indicated that 30 percent of the prairie provinces’ population were not aware that residential schools even existed,” said Bula Ghosh of the Truth and Reconciliation  Committee. “Learning this, our committee decided that we would work on creating awareness in the  southwest. The truth must be acknowledged before reconciliation can happen. Our upcoming Speaker  Series will help us all to acknowledge, understand and move ahead in the spirit of reconciliation.”

“In 2017, the first Truth and Reconciliation event, ‘Residential Schools’, was well received and this led to  the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee,” added Ghosh. “Since then there have been  two additional annual events held with the ‘Sixties Scoop’ in 2018 and the ‘Missing and Murdered  Indigenous Women and Girls’ in 2019. No event was held in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic  restrictions.” 

The Truth and Reconciliation Committee would like to thank its members and sponsors for making this  event possible, including Southwest Multicultural Association, SaskCulture, Chinook School Division,  Great Plains College, Innovation Credit Union, Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre, Chinook Regional  Library, City of Swift Current, Saskatchewan Health Authority and Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan.

 

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