Sept. 30 marks the fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and it’s been said many times that truth must come before reconciliation.
One truth that cuts to the core of my own white fragility is that settlers like me have yet to pick up our share of the effort toward reconciliation. Of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, 26 are stalled or not started, according to Indigenous Watchdog. We’re still leaving the burden of achieving true nation-to-nation equality to our Indigenous neighbours while we stand by, put up roadblocks or even increase the load. Maybe not every settler; maybe not all the time. But by and large, we’ve shrugged off the truth that reconciliation is settler work, not Indigenous work.
In honour of this Sept. 30, I recommit to this work. But I also want to express gratitude to the Indigenous individuals, leaders and communities who have done the heavy lifting so far. It’s been excruciatingly difficult for you at times. And any progress we’ve made in this country is due to your tenacity and vision for a better future for all of us. Here then, is a very short list of thank yous: Gunalchéesh to Tlingit photographer Zoë Urness, whose images offer us a glimpse into her understanding of motherhood and its connection to the land. Her work celebrates that Indigenous people have survived the colonial onslaught and are still here. wisiłat łimaqsti to Geena Haiyupis, a Hesquiaht artist, who painted a beautiful and symbolic mural on an inside wall at Alberni Valley (B.C.) United. Haiyupis herself and three generations of her family suffered at residential schools, including the Alberni Indian Residential School, which was run by The United Church of Canada and became notorious for abuse. It’s humbling to consider such a gift from Haiyupis to the Alberni congregation.
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Ekosani, maarsii and nakurmiik to the many residential school survivors who courageously told their stories to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and to commissioner Marie Wilson, who is non-Indigenous and writes about her TRC experience in a new book, North of Nowhere. By sharing your pain, you helped us understand why healing takes generations.
And finally, miigwech to Indigenous United Church leaders — the National Indigenous Council, the National Indigenous Elders Council, Indigenous Ministries and Justice — along with settler allies, who recently succeeded in helping the rest of the church understand and support the need for a self-determining Indigenous church within the denomination. As reported in our last issue, 94 percent of the pastoral charges that voted supported this change. Decades of courageous Indigenous church leaders deserve our gratitude.
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Although the journey to both truth and reconciliation is long and strenuous, I like to imagine it has a few benches along the shoulders. Places where we can sit for a minute, look back at how far we’ve come, look ahead at what’s to come. Resting points where we can turn to our Indigenous bench mates and say thank you. Thank you for everything you’ve done to get us here. I will carry that heavy pack for the next stretch of the road.
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Jocelyn Bell is the editor and publisher of Broadview.
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