September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day—a day to honour Survivors of residential schools, remember the children who never returned home, and recognize the lasting impacts on families and communities. It is also a day to recognize the resilience of Indigenous Peoples, to listen and learn, and to remember that while reconciliation is not a perfect or linear journey, we do have a clear framework to help guide us. What matters is that we continue to reflect, learn and keep moving forward.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action give us practical places to move forward. For our sector, Call to Action 7 speaks specifically to closing education and employment gaps, while Call 92 includes equitable access to jobs, training and education and learning about Indigenous history within workplaces.

Although much work remains, it is encouraging to see how much more of this history my own children are learning in school than many of us were taught growing up. As our worlds become larger, and information and stories are more readily accessible, we also have a responsibility to keep learning and expand our understanding while honouring the lived experiences of those who have told their stories.

Learning can also mean showing up when invited to Indigenous-led experiences. Here in Victoria, my family and I will visit Songhees Nation’s South Island Powwow on September 30, which welcomes everyone to gather, learn and celebrate Indigenous cultures and resilience.

I’m also looking forward to taking a Songhees Tours canoe tour through the Inner Harbour—around the same waters where many of us will gather for the ASPECT Conference later this fall. It is an opportunity to learn about this place directly from Lək̓ʷəŋən cultural ambassadors.

Listen, learn, support Indigenous-led work, and keep going after September 30.

Jennifer Nichol
Interim CEO