Truth & Reconciliation

What an amazing day of learning! Both keynote speakers spoke about “What is Reconciliation?” which I loved learning about today. They both mentioned something that resonated with me: “reconciliation means something different to everyone”.  To me, this statement is so true and as teachers it’s something we need to think about. Our ideas of reconciliation may not match those of our students and their families, and we need to consider that always.

As a non-Indigenous person my biggest obstacle is the fear I’m not or I won’t do things right in the classroom. I want to do the right thing, but I’m also scared of making mistakes, offending or misinforming. This is where I lean on others, resources, elders in my community, and continually educating myself. I believe reconciliation starts by understanding and acknowledging the past and its effect on generations of people. My opinion is that anyone who wants to become part of change must be willing to educate and inform themselves first before becoming a part the healing journey. As a Canadian, I am angry, ashamed and embarrassed by our past government’s actions. I allow myself to feel this but feeling this way and not doing anything about it will not help anyone. My anger and frustration motivate me towards making a difference in my community, for my students and the future.

Unfortunately, for many Indigenous people today, reconciliation means nothing when the legacy of colonialism and residential schools still very much exist today. I have heard older generations say it’s never going to change and that makes me sad. Both speakers mentioned that the work has slowly started but it needs to continue for a long, long time. In many ways, we know more about colonial legacies, have more guidance, people, and resources to help us move forward, but in a classroom, reconciliation starts where a teacher stands on the issue.  As a teacher, I commit to fully listening, learning, being open, and to never judge. Although I’ll never know what it’s like to be an Indigenous person, I want to continue to educate myself, my students and all people around me to help move forward.