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Banff Centre Truth and Reconciliation Summit Report

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Banff Centre Truth and Reconciliation Summit Report FINAL REPORT: Truth and Reconciliation Summit Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity | 1 Contents Foreword 5 Acknowledgements 5 Introduction 6 Pre-Summit Preparation 8 Reconciliation is not a Right Relations Agreement 9 “commission. Reconciliation is Context 10 not a moment. Reconciliation is not a kinder, gentler form Summit Opening 13 of assimilation that clings to a The Truth (Keynote Presentations) 14 historical notion that one group is Best Practices in Reconciliation (Panel Discussion) 18 superior and has all the answers Conversation Café (Breakout Sessions) 25 and all the resources and knows Calls to Action (Personal Action Commitments) 40 what is best for another group Maintaining Momentum 44 that is less beautiful, less capable Future Forward 48 and less worthy. Reconciliation is Conclusion 50 a movement.” Appendix 52 Calls to Action Resources — Dr. Marie Wilson List of Thought Leaders Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner Public Action Item Commitments | Truth and Reconciliation Summit Ban Centre for Arts and Creativity | Foreword Ban Centre for Arts and Creativity takes the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)’s Calls to Action seriously. As such, as an arts and cultural institution we have begun work on our own framework for reconciliation. An important rst step was to host a Truth and Reconciliation Summit that was primarily focused on the Bow Valley region, 250 of the 360 Summit participants were from the Bow Valley. The objective of the gathering was to provide some information and knowledge about The Truth around Canada’s shared history of residential school policy and its intergenerational e ects, to inspire participants with examples of reconciliation initiatives already under way, and to move participants into action by owning a call to action and working toward reconciliation and Right Relations with Canada’s Indigenous Peoples. Ban Centre joins many post-secondary institutions across the country in responding to the TRC Acknowledgements calls to action. This is part of a movement where organizations, institutions, and governments are Ban Centre for Arts and Creativity would like all exploring how they can meaningfully respond to sincerely thank Treaty 7 Chiefs, Councilors, and live into the calls to action. This Truth and Elders, youth, and community members for Reconciliation Summit report is intended to allowing us to host this important gathering provide a resource for those interested in taking on your territory. We would also like to action on reconciliation. Within this report we have thank our Summit participants — citizens of documented some knowledge and information of the the Bow Valley and beyond — for taking the truth around the e ects of colonization, especially time and interest in actively engaging in this the residential school system, which can cause some timely regional gathering. Thank you to our discomfort. As Jesse Wente, Master of Ceremonies learning community of esteemed keynotes, of the Summit stated to the participants, “get panel members, and thought leaders who comfortable with the uncomfortable.” However it skillfully guided the summit process. A is through learning, empathizing, and dialogue that nal thanks and sincere gratitude to the we can heal the wounds of this history and move sponsors and dedicated sta at Ban Centre, into action to rebuild Right Relations. This Summit including the Indigenous Program Council, report also documents reconciliation initiatives Executive O cers Colin Funk and Philip already under way, as well as, the ideas and actions Cox, and Ban Centre Board of Governors that participants of the Summit produced. for their continued support and vision. We hope that you nd this report useful as a resource that can help you learn more around the truth, be inspired, and to live into a call to action. We all have a responsibility to the work of reconciliation, and we hope you will be motivated to take your own action in your family, community, or workplace. As we celebrate our country’s 150th anniversary, it is a time to re ect upon our shared history as Canadians and to believe as we look to our future that Canada will be an even greater country when it reconciles with its Indigenous Peoples and rebuilds Right Relations. Ban Centre’s Brian Calliou, Director of Indigenous Leadership and Management, and Alexia McKinnon, Project Lead, Leadership Participant commitments following the Summit. | TruthPhoto and by ReconciliationDon Lee. Summit Ban Centre for Arts and Creativity | Truth and reconciliation “is one of the most challenging and potentially Although the Indian Residential These include higher rates of poverty an a¬ternoon of sector-focused Introduction Schools (IRS) are a part of our and incarceration, youth suicide, table conversations exploring the most rewarding issues shared history, many Canadians poor living conditions, as well as reconciliation process that is living that we Canadians have understand little about the system the crisis of missing and murdered into the Calls to Action. The keynote On Saturday, October 29, and its impact on communities today. Indigenous women and girls. speakers and thought leaders engaged ever faced. And thanks 2016, Janice Price, President Until 1996, when the last school with participants in the breakout and CEO of Ban Centre closed, Indigenous children were The nal report of the TRC includes sessions, which led to participants to many of the people in 94 Calls to Action for Canadian for Arts and Creativity, systematically removed from their cra¬ting ideas to take action in this room and across the families and communities and placed governments, churches, educational reconciliation that they could pursue launched the Truth and in church-run schools. The aim to institutions, and people. As a national personally, within their organization, country we are on the Reconciliation Summit with “remove the Indian in the child” was to institution, Ban Centre felt it was and within their chosen sector. these words. Ban Centre, be accomplished by preventing them important to answer the call and path towards repairing from speaking their own languages to be involved in the reconciliation The day ended in the same way located on Treaty 7 Territory process by creating space for it began, with a solemn pause, in Canada’s relationship with — the sacred and traditional and practicing in their cultural traditions. Thousands of children better understanding and improved plenary, to consider the importance Indigenous Peoples. A¬ter lands for Stoney Nakoda, died from diseases, while many relationships with Indigenous of the Summit. Our Master of today, I know our shared Blackfoot, and Tsuut’ina others were physically and sexually community members. With Ban Ceremonies, Jesse Wente, honoured Nations — hosted the day- abused. In 2008, Prime Minister Centre’s creative resources, the hope the hundreds of Post-it notes full of is to foster dynamic and inspired Summit participant’s ideas and action hope is it will be even long conversation between Stephen Harper presented a formal apology on behalf of the Government responses and actions, and to take a commitments that in one form or further ahead. Thankfully important national gures in of Canada to the Survivors of the regional leadership role to begin this another re ect the 94 Calls to Action the truth and reconciliation IRS system, and set up the Truth process in the Bow Valley and beyond. emerging from the work of the Truth we have some great guides process and local Bow and Reconciliation Commission and Reconciliation Commission. Over 300 individuals participated in the Elder Sykes Powderface concluded here with us today. They Valley community residents. through a settlement agreement. Summit — youth, Elders, Indigenous, with prayer and encouragement. and non-Indigenous. The majority of are going to share their The Summit was created to make The TRC aimed to initiate a national participants were Alberta residents Following the Summit, we hear stories space for participants to learn truth-telling process for survivors in from the Bow Valley, Morley, Exshaw, of commitments being put into knowledge and experience about and respond to the Truth and the hopes that Canada could learn Canmore, Ban , and Lake Louise. practice from around the Bow Valley as keynote speakers, panel Reconciliation Commission’s 94 from our mistakes and move forward together. The TRC process o cially and beyond. Ban Centre is committed Calls to Action. Through the use of The Summit began with four keynote ended in December 2015, but the task to launching its own reconciliation members and special keynote addresses, panel discussions, speakers sharing their involvement of working toward reconciliation has framework. In the pages that follow, and small group conversations, the in Canada’s truth and reconciliation guests who are recognized only just begun. It will be hard work. highlights are provided of the keynote goal was to encourage participants process. Each person recounted Canadians have to spend time on addresses and experiences of the for their expertise to transform feelings of guilt and riveting stories and statistics of the The Truth - the history of Canada that thought leaders already working concern about Canada’s dark history abuses which set the process in harmed this relationship. There will through their commitments to the in the reconciliation into commitments to action, at motion. Then, Indigenous and non- be di cult conversations. Canadians’ Calls for Action. Also included is a home, at work, and in the community. Indigenous leaders from across conversation”. perception of our history will be summary of participant commitments Ultimately, the Summit should the country shared their stories disrupted when they learn about emerging from the Summit spark new approaches for repairing and best practices to reconciliation – Janice Price, President and CEO, assimilation policies, criminalization of conversations and suggestions and rebuilding relationships with and Right Relations in their own Ban Centre for Arts and Creativity a traditional lifestyle, and residential from participants on Ban Centre’s Indigenous Peoples in the Bow Valley.
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