New Video Themes
CFR Talking Themes
Listen to readings that describe the core of Reconciliation Principles: Two excerpts from the TRC final report (pages 6-8 and pages 25-26), comments by Senator Murray Sinclair in an article by Ruth Shead published in UM Today: The Magazine and material from an article by Maggie Hodgson in “From Truth to Reconciliation: Transforming the Legacy of Residential Schools”. Full urls for these sources can be found on our website at this link: https://circlesforreconciliation.ca/gathering-theme-reconciliation/
Circles for Reconciliation is recognizing the principles in Call To Action #14 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Report – “i. Aboriginal languages are a fundamental and valued element of Canadian culture and society, and there is an urgency to preserve them.” This video is used in the theme presentations in our Sharing Circles. Video editing provided by Austin Apetagon.
Read more about Kéhtéyátis (Elder) Clarence Anderson at this link.
- Here is a grid listing of all our current themes to enable random browsing of the topics.
- We have a recommended order to follow for the 10-week Circles with lots of flexibility for the special interests of participants.
- Each theme is well researched and open-ended to enable free discussion.
- For facilitators and participants in an active Circle, use our Facilitators Theme List.
The Seven Sacred Teachings of the Anishinaabe * LOVE: it is important to care for one another HONESTY: better to fail with honesty than succeed by fraud RESPECT: give it, earn
The biggest challenge faced by Aboriginals, when asked unprompted, is “stigma, inequality, discrimination.” It topped the list (18%, up from 6% in 2008) of about ten issues. There is little
Allyship “begins when a person of privilege seeks to support a marginalized individual or group.” Allyship requires a commitment to unlearning and learning about privilege, power and oppression and involves
Métis people are maintaining relationships with their home territories. Many Indigenous peoples are moving from rural to urban locations, yet remaining connected to their communities/land through celebrating culture days, pursuing
Restorative Justice is the traditional justice system for many Indigenous peoples. It also has the added benefit of being the form of justice for many of our newcomer communities, who
Various First Nations communities across Turtle Island (North America) had and continue to have existing traditions and laws that govern land rights and what would be considered “human rights” in
“Why do Indigenous people stay on reserves when there is often water that has to be boiled, mold in the houses, few educational opportunities and no jobs? For the sake
This theme briefly summarizes seven major violations of the intent of the treaties to recognize, respect and acknowledge each Indigenous nation. It brings together an overview of policies and practices
“Many people came to the conversation without really thinking about reconciliation was. They kept focusing on what reconciliation wasn’t. It wasn’t about forgiveness. It wasn’t about sovereignty. It wasn’t about
In the residential school era, Métis were not considered ‘Indians’ legally, under Canada’s Indian Act. They were considered the responsibility of the provincial governments and often education and health support
Getting beyond or removing the Indian Act, however, is not as simple as it sounds. The paradox of the act is that it is also integral to securing the legal
Students did not stay overnight at the day schools, many were able to go home at the end of the school day, but often the conditions at the school and
Many of us are rebuilding relationships with our First Nations relatives, and acknowledging the destructive impact colonization has had on our families. Others are building vibrant connections to their ancestry
“The pass system has had lasting effects on generations of Indigenous people. Over half a century of segregation and restrictions on mobility contributed to the loss of culture, strained family relations,
Reconciliation must become a way of life. It will take many years to repair damaged trust and relationships in Aboriginal communities and between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. Use the controls
As trauma and intergenerational trauma was the result of attacks to the culture and spirit of the children, addressing these soul wounds often requires cultural interventions and supports. Cultural ceremonies
While the treatment of children varied from family to family, the children are united in the shared impacts on their connections to culture, identity and languages. While the operation of
These communities had begun to think of themselves as a distinct people – different from their Indigenous and European parent cultures but Indigenous nonetheless. Blending aspects from their parent cultures
What is the balance between promoting multiculturalism and nationalism (e.g., pride in being Canadian) with the parallel acknowledgement of the oppression of First Nations, the diminishing of their unique and
Misconception: Métis equals mixed blood/race (any mixture of Indigenous and non-Indigenous blood/ancestry equals Métis identity). Facts: In 2002, the Métis National Council adopted the following national definition for Métis identity:
Larry Beardy travelled by train from Churchill, Manitoba, to the Anglican residential school in Dauphin, Manitoba—a journey of 1,200 kilometres. As soon as they realized that they were leaving their