Today is the National Day For Truth & Reconciliation in Canada. Here are some resources I’ve found helpful and compiled over the years, for further learning:
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People In North America by Thomas King (2012)
An excellent book by a Guelph-based Indigenous author and former English professor at the University of Guelph. Some of the political situation has changed since the publication of the date, but much remains the same and history captured therein is crucial and presented in an entertaining and accessible way.
The Sleeping Giant Awakens: Genocide, Indian Residential Schools, and the Challenge of Conciliation by Dr. David B. MacDonald (2019)
Another excellent book by a Political Science professor at the University of Guelph, this one is a bit more academic but does an excellent job of confronting the stark history of Canadian genocide and naming it as such.
The National Centre For Truth and Reconciliation website: https://nctr.ca/
The website of The National Centre For Truth and Reconciliation with all of the reports and publications, and further resources for learning.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls To Action: https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
The Calls To Action present several concrete steps for reconciliation and are well-worth familiarizing oneself with. They include a mix of individual, communal, organizational, and national calls.
Native Land Digital: https://native-land.ca/
An excellent website for finding out the history of the land one resides on, and the treaties that are supposed to govern it.
University of Guelph Land Acknowledgment Landing Page: https://www.uoguelph.ca/land-acknowledgement
An excellent resource put together by my alma mater that covers both the importance and purpose of land acknowledgments and a guide to creating one well.
Indigenous Canada – from the University of Alberta: https://www.coursera.org/learn/indigenous-canada
An excellent course from the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta which I had the pleasure of taking, and which has open enrollment. A great way to get a comprehensive overview of the history of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous-settler relations in the area we now call Canada.
Woodland Cultural Centre: https://woodlandculturalcentre.ca/
Located on the grounds of the former Mohawk Institute, this centre is devoted to retaining the history of the residential school system and educating about that sordid part of our history so it never happens again. It includes a museum and a preserved residential school. Virtual tours are currently offered; I have had the good fortune to go on an in-person tour on two separate occasions, and I highly recommend doing so for the sheer power and impact if you are ever presented with the opportunity.
Indigenous Guelph and Friends: https://www.instagram.com/indigenousguelphandfriends/
An Instagram account I follow which is an excellent way to stay apprised of opportunities for relationship and community engagement, and to stay informed of discourse, actions, and matters of import in the Indigenous community.
Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations: https://mncfn.ca/
The website for the Indigenous peoples who currently have Treaty rights to the land which the City of Guelph occupies.
Six Nations of the Grand River: https://www.sixnations.ca/about
The website of a reserve located near Brantford, Ontario, with regular engagement throughout Southwestern Ontario and whose auspices the Woodland Cultural Centre falls under.
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