Main Body

17 Resources and calls to action for non-Indigenous folks to stand in solidarity with Indigenous folks, residential school survivors and their families 

The following resource list was created by Amy Desjarlais and Jeffrey McNeil-Seymour

Google doc version 

“We need to make sure the removal of Indigenous children and the residential school experience is never forgotten and never repeated!”

 

A different way of learning

In the wake of the May 27, 2021 atrocious news about the remains of 215 children found buried at a former B.C. residential school and subsequent news stories, not only do we—the members of the Kiwenitawi-kiwin Kiskino-hamatewina (Rebirthed Teachings) Working Group—wish to share some resources and calls to action with you, but we also extend an invitation to walk the path of action together. We understand more stories like this are going to continue to come to light. The time to walk a path of action together has never been more important.

What is in this document?

A) Message from the COVID-19 Indigenous Facebook page (May 31, 2021)

B) Learn about and support Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc

C) Calls to Action

Get involved on campus

A) Message from the COVID-19 Indigenous Facebook page (May 31, 2021)

For non-Indigenous people:

Settlers, it is important to acknowledge the benefits of living the lives you do, due to the Indian Residential School system and settler colonialism. Settlers too have been greatly impacted by this system, and continue to receive benefits from it today.

Indigenous people sharing these stories and experiences is not to make you feel guilty, but to bring awareness to the truths of Indigenous experiences in Canada. Acknowledging and confronting these truths is not a comfortable process, but it is necessary. As settlers, there is a responsibility to do the work to learn, and advocate for and reconcile with Indigenous Peoples.

There is power in learning and education, and it is a great place to begin the reconciliation process in your life.

We have compiled a list of free and informative resources on residential schools that may provide insight and value to you during this time.

Along with these resources, you should also learn about who’s land you live on, contact your local elected officials and ask them what they are doing to make positive change, and do the work to have conversations with and educate settlers in your lives about why this is important.

Reconciliation benefits all of us, and is a start to making our world a better, safer place for everyone. This work does not end here, it is ongoing, but there is no better time to start then today.

Original message on Facebook

Resource list

B) Learn about and support Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc

Resources provided by Jeffrey McNeil-Seymour and Amy Desjarlais.

C) Calls to Action

Honour the 215

  • Take a moment of silence at 2:15 p.m.
  • Visit the vigils in solidarity around Toronto (or locally in your area).
  • Change your social media profile pictures to orange or use available filters.
  • Hang orange shirts outside your places of residence in solidarity.
  • Organize solidarity vigils.
  • Donate to Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS)
  • Wear orange shirts (be sure to support orangeshirtday.org or buy shirts from businesses that donate to Indian Residential School Survivor support organizations with funds raised through orange shirt sales).
  • Call your local area business associations and ask business with storefronts to dress their store front in orange in recognition of the 215 tiny lives lost in this atrocity and support of the residential school survivors and their families (idea provided by Jeffrey McNeil-Seymour).

Un/Learn

Watch

Sign these petitions and send letters to government officials

Get involved on campusTo become more actively involved in reciprocal allyship and learn more about the Kiwenitawi-kiwin Kiskino-hamatewina (Rebirthed Teachings) Working Group and the ways you can get involved, please send our group lead, Amy Desjarlais, an email at sdesjarl@ryerson.ca.

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In Their Moccasins Copyright © by Sarena Johnson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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