Today is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to recognize the ongoing legacy of Canada’s residential school system, to honour and commemorate Indigenous cultures, Indigenous residential school Survivors, their families, and communities.

This first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we reflect on the continued impacts of residential schools, and think about how as Architects and Designers, we can meaningfully participate in reconciliation through the work that we do at DPAI.

As a call to action, we’ve compiled a list of resources and some incredible work done by Indigenous artists on the subject of truth and reconciliation:

LEARN

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada – Calls to Action: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1524494530110/1557511412801

Residential School History: https://nctr.ca/education/teaching-resources/residential-school-history/

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: https://nctr.ca/education/teaching-resources/united-nations-declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples/

Canada Council for the Arts – {Re}conciliation Initiative: https://canadacouncil.ca/initiatives/reconciliation

Orange Shirt Day – Phyllis (Jack) Webstad’s story in her own words: https://www.orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story.html

Indigenous Curatorial Collective: https://acc-cca.com/about/

Wawahte: Stories of Residential School Survivors (documentary): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGrJNUCQ-r4

TEDx Talks – Existence as Resistance | Tasha Spillett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjijZGDpXsM

Truth and Reconciliation (with the Honourable Senator Murray Sinclair): https://www.csps-efpc.gc.ca/video/ssontr-eng.aspx

Reconciliation Through the Arts: https://www.csps-efpc.gc.ca/video/rta-eng.aspx

Gord Downie’s The Secret Path: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGd764YU9yc

CBC Radio – Truth and Reconciliation Commission: how the arts shape our view of history (podcast): https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/schedule-for-wednesday-june-3-2015-1.3097370/truth-and-reconciliation-commission-how-the-arts-shape-our-view-of-history-1.3098175

Historica Canada – Residential Schools by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-schools-podcast-series

PARTICIPATE

National Centre of Truth and Reconciliation – Truth and Reconciliation Week events: https://nctr.ca/education/trw/general-public-schedule/

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund: Orange Shirt Day Event: On the path to reconciliation: https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/eventRegistrationServletV2?eventid=2620192&sessionid=1&key=97BBEAA890119666B535B8F606AD245C

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival https://imaginenative.org/

Daphne Cockwell Gallery https://www.rom.on.ca/en/exhibitions-galleries/galleries/world-cultures/daphne-cockwell-gallery-dedicated-to-first-peoples-art-culture