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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is September 30

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is September 30 main image

OPL invites the Oakville community to reflect ​and honour the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities and explore more about the rich and diverse cultures, voices, experiences and histories of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples within our community and across Canada.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is on September 30. We encourage library customers, staff, board and volunteers to reflect on Canada’s truth and learn more about Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Final Report and 94 Calls to Action, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children and its 231 individual Calls for Justice.

Wear an orange shirt to raise awareness about the intergenerational impact and trauma residential schools have had on Indigenous communities and make a donation to the Orange Shirt Society to support their work in commemorating the residential school experience and fostering reconciliation. 

OPL works closely with the local First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, about how we as a community can support an inclusive, diverse, and equitable Oakville. That begins with acknowledging the past and the Truth and Reconciliation work that needs to continue, including the calls to action. We must continue to work together to build on what unites us and continue creating a community where everyone feels respected and welcomed. 

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Events

  • See a live performance of Christine Friday on September 30, 8 pm – in-person and virtual at Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. Join Christine Friday as she explores her Anishinaabek roots, Firewater Thunderbird Rising is the transformative spirit of dance travelling through dimensional realms of existence – ancestors, dreams, blood memory and the land directly connected to our Anishinaabek way of living, awakening the healing of our Nation’s future.

  • Visit the Fire Over Water Art Exhibit on September 30, 10 am to 4 pm, at Crawford Lake Conservation Area. The exhibit is an immersive exhibit by Wyandot artist and Faith Keeper Catherine Tàmmaro. Featuring original paintings, multi-media works, music, and video, Fire Over Water honours the Wendat/Wyandot diaspora represented in Dr. Kathryn Magee Labelle’s recently released book, Daughter’s of Aataentsic: Life Stories From Seven Generations.

Explore 

  • Enjoy a walk along the Moccasin Trails and explore the history of the lands from an Indigenous perspective. Follow the Moccasin Trails signs along Bronte Creek Heritage Trail and along Sixteen Mile Creek Inner Valley to Dundas Street West at Lions Valley.

  • Visit Tannery Park and explore the First Nations history wall and Moccasin Identifier, which was built to promote public awareness of the significant cultural historic sites and the ancestral presence of First Nations, Métis and Indigenous communities

Listen

  • #OurOakville Podcasts

    • Episode 2: #OurOakville is for Indigenous History. This podcast welcomes special guest Darin Wybenga, Traditional Knowledge and Land Use Coordinator with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Wybenga brings his wisdom and knowledge of history and offers context and understanding to the land we now call Oakville.

    • Episode 3: #OurOakville is for Indigenous Peoples. To encourage dialogue, and foster relationships, trust, and understanding, this podcast invites local Indigenous community member Angela Bellegarde to share her experience of belonging in Oakville. Julian Kingston, Supervisor of the Oakville Museum, joins the conversation to share how our museum can improve the stories we share.

Learn


For those who may be in need of support, please call:

  • National IRS Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419

  • IRSS Telephone Support Line: 1-800-721-0066

  • FN & Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310

  • Native Youth Crisis Hotline: 1-877-209-1266

  • Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868, or text 686868