RiVAL welcomes all people in Thunder Bay–especially but not exclusively non-Indigenous people–to join us DAILY at NOON at the gazebo in Waverly Park for a cooperative live reading of portions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Report
….In honour of the many Indigenous children who did not return from residential schools…
…In response to calls from Indigenous people to refuse the colonial politics of forgetting…
…In light of the urgent need to decolonize and to confront racism…
…And in the name of education to uplift our communities…
We encourage everyone to join the CANCEL CANADA DAY gathering on July 1 at 1:45pm at Waverly Park
When and Where?
We will be meeting at the gazebo at 12 noon every day, rain or shine, from Friday June 25 to Thursday July 1.
We encourage everyone to wear orange.
What?
For the first part of each hour we will be reading aloud “What We Have Learned: Principles of Truth and Reconciliation” and the “Calls to Action” of the TRC.
We will print copies.You can come to just one of the readings, or many.
You can find the TRC reports here: https://nctr.ca/records/reports/
We will hold some time and space for discussion afterward, including a discussion of what can be done.
You are welcome to come and read with us, to stay for a discussion, or simply to listen.
We will not tolerate hateful, bigoted or malicious speech or action.
If you come, know that many are grieving and in pain and act with respect.
Please wear a mask and observe public health adviceWe are working on livestreaming this event.
Who?
All people who come with a good heart, peace, respect and curiosity are welcome.
Non-Indigenous people are especially encouraged to attend and commit to learning and to acting.
This reading is being organized by non-Indigenous people.
People of all ages, including children, are welcome.
WARNING: The subject matter covered is extremely disturbing and we want everyone to take care. While we are dedicated to making the space as safe as we can, we cannot control who shows up, so we advise those who are grieving to take care.
Why?
The horrific violence of the colonization of the lands we currently know as Canada has recently been revealed again in the recent discovery of the unmarked remains of Indigenous children who were kidnapped from their families and subjected to genocidal torture by Canadian churches and the Canadian state in Residential Schools.
In defiance of many powerful institutions and influential people seeking to deny this violence (and its aftermaths), and in the face of a Canadian government that wants to sweep it under the rug, it is more important than ever that people refuse to forget. It is especially important that non-Indigenous people take the initiative to educate themselves and take action for change.
It is not acceptable to expect that Indigenous people should attend to the traumatizing impacts of these revelations in their communities as well as find time and energy to educate non-Indigenous people who have been ill-served by their educational system and their leaders and remain largely ignorant.For this reason we will come together to learn.It is long past time to face the grim history on which this country is built and to discuss how we can organize together for meaningful change in the future.
For the media
This is a community event where attendees may feel uncomfortable being photographed or video recorded. The organizers are not providing media interviews at this time: please interview the many Indigenous experts in the city instead.
RiVAL: The ReImagining Value Action Lab is a workshop for the radical imagination, social justice and decolonization at Lakehead University. You can reach us at info.rival@lakeheadu.ca