Truth and Reconciliation
The 2019 report from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) concluded that the violence faced by Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in Canada amounts to genocide. This genocide was enacted through a broad range of policy that included displacing Indigenous people from their land, removing Indigenous children from their homes, outlawing Indigenous gatherings, protocols and practices, and much more. The harms of Canada’s colonial policy reverberate to this day.
Colonial policy was and continues to be enacted through various social institutions including schools, faith-based organizations, and charities. As a non-profit charitable organization, we believe we have a responsibility to identify colonial processes within our own organization and to rectify ongoing harms to Indigenous people. This work is ongoing, and we invite all community to join us in this process.
Truth & Reconciliation Mural Project at Oaklands Community Association
On September 30th 2024, Oaklands Community Association unveiled a community mural project, led by Coast Salish artist Andrea Fritz. The mural was commissioned to reflect on the legacy of Truth and Reconciliation in Oaklands, along with Indigenous histories, presents, and futures.
The mural aims to be one small action towards supporting the National Truth and Reconciliation Commissions 94 calls to action: addressing action point 79 -- We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal organizations, and the arts community, to develop a reconciliation framework for Canadian heritage and commemoration. iii. Developing and implementing a national heritage plan and strategy for commemorating residential school sites, the history and legacy of residential schools, and the contributions of Aboriginal peoples to Canada’s history.
Part of the mural creation involved a community learning and engagement session, led by Andrea and her mother: Indigenous educator, Brenda Pohl. The session was held in July of 2024, and community had the opportunity to learn about legacy of residential schools in Canada, and share their hopes for this mural.
Artist Statement
This was the statement shared by Andrea at the mural unveiling ceremony on National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th, 2024:
"I am Andrea Fritz. Lyackson First Nation of Hul'q'umi'num' speaking people’s.
Today we show you our reconciliation mural. We made it in response to one of the TRC’s calls to action. This mural represents the journey of the local Coast Salish people through time.
The lower dark green section represents our very long past before contact where we were self sufficient and in balance with the world around us. Bears, deer and wolves roamed freely in our territory. They represent, strength of knowledge, a reminder to walk gently, and to use your intelligence and loyalty to help family in anyway you can. A Coast Salish plank house sits on the shores of the water. A warm bright fire burns inside representing the safe and happy space our people come from. Smoke from the cozy fire rises to the future but is stopped by the dark swoosh.
The black and orange swoosh represent the dark times of residential school, day schools, the sixties scoop and other attempts at colonization. The orange face and orange bridge over the stream represents the pieces of our Indigenous culture that we carried through the hard times.
The medium green represents modern times. A Gary oak tree with the associated species of camas, nodding onion and fawn lily are visible. Reminding us to cherish the unique and delicate things from the past. A barred owl is sitting in the tree. He represents wisdom and the ability find the unseen, like our people living on the streets and in other dangerous situations. Also visible in the modern times is a circle around a fire. Seven seats around the fire invite all to sit and learn from the creator, represented by the tree growing beside the circle. Black flames travel from the dark past into modern times but are topped by orange to show our people’s resilience to the continued effects of residential school.
At the top of the mural you can see light green representing the future for the coast Salish people. Wetland dominate the landscape including a frog as they are a good measure of the health of a recovering ecosystem. Eagle flys above the scene representing the strength we have to fly on. He flies close to the creator and brings us knowledge to strengthen our resolve.
Finally you can see Bowker Creek, Thaywun, flowing through all four time frames. Thaywun is filled with salmon travelling downstream to one day feed the people’s tummies and souls. Knowledge from our ancestors travels down the river and spills out into the wetlands of the future, filling our children’s future with purpose and connection.
I hope that when anyone looks at this mural they will think of the Coast Salish people, our long history, our hardships, our fearless steps towards recovery and our bright futures with the strong young people of the nations.
Huy’sep’q’u, thanks you to each and every one of you for coming to witness this. I hope that you will share some of what you have learned here today. Huychq’u"
Learn more about Andrea and her work HERE.
Brenda Pohl (Indigenous Educator) and her daughter Andrea Fritz (Mural Artist) in front of the mural
Truth and Reconciliation Resources
This list was compiled by members of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee at the OCA for staff during the week of National Truth and Reconciliation Day, 2024.
To watch and listen:
- If you have an hour, you can watch (or listen to) all this week's Lunch and Learns from NCTR on Youtube here: Lunch and Learns – Truth and Reconciliation Week (nctr.ca)
- For a docuseries about residential schools, you can watch The Knowing on CBC Gem (accounts are free). Journalist Tanya Talaga and her family’s eight-decade long search for family matriarch Annie Carpenter, reveals a story deeply intertwined with Canada’s Indian residential school system.
- Listen to expert panelists examine how we are all building the Reconciliation movement, exploring ideas that will help shape the future of Canada here: Reconciliation Canada - YouTube
- For a feature-length film, you can watch Yintah on CBC Gem or on Netflix. Spanning more than a decade, YINTAH follows Howilhkat Freda Huson and Sleydo’ Molly Wickham as their nation reoccupies and protects their ancestral lands from the Canadian government and several of the largest fossil fuel companies on earth.
To give:
- Donate to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: Our Path to Healing and Reconciliation - NCTR
- Donate to the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness: Donate – Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness (acehsociety.com)
- Donate to the Victoria Native Friendship Centre: Donate - Victoria Native Friendship Centre (vnfc.ca)
- Also, considering donating your time by volunteering at ACEH, VNFC, or another organization in the future.
To learn:
- Take a free course from U of A that explores the different histories and contemporary perspectives of Indigenous peoples living in Canada. Indigenous Canada | University of Alberta (ualberta.ca)
- Read this article about Right Relations: Decolonizing transformations through ‘right relations’ | Sustainability Science (springer.com)
From the intro:
"Our main inquiry is how non-Indigenous researchers can work with transformation in a way that furthers decolonization by dismantling oppressive systems in the communities in which we live and work. As a way of providing partial answers to this question, we turn to writings by Indigenous scholars, knowledge holders and allies who speak to the notion of what collectively we refer to as ‘right relations,’ a mode of being that is grounded in Indigenous ontologies characterized by relationality and reciprocity among both human and non-human relatives."
Whose land are you on?
- Discover whose land you're living on or visiting at Native-land.ca.
- Learn more the Songhees Nation.
- Learn more about the Xʷsepsəm (Esquimalt) Nation.
- Learn about the Lək̓ʷəŋən language.
