Truth and Reconciliation

In Bishop Fabbro’s apology issued on September 27, 2021 he stated, “I commit the Diocese of London to accompany you, the Indigenous Peoples of this land, on the journey of healing and reconciliation.” In order to be effective in making this journey of support and accompaniment, we must be open to learning more about the issues confronting Indigenous people and the legacy of Canada’s residential schools. To that end, the videos and links below will help us learn more about the path before us:

Springbank Catholic Family of Parishes and Northern Bridge Community Partnership - Truth and Reconciliation Speaker/Gathering Series

A recording of their first presentation by Dr. Richard Vedan, Professor-Emeritus, University of British Columbia, is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JloEMVP-IA

(Please note that among a several other distinguished speakers, on October 13, Senator Murray Sinclair, who chaired Truth and Reconciliation Commission, will present via video)

King’s Veritas Lecture Series for Faith and Culture

Their first event of this academic year features Cindy Blackstock, a member of the Gitxsan First Nation, with a presentation titled “Reconciling History: Echoes of the Past” that “links lessons of history to the contemporary injustices that First Nations children and families experience in the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its Calls to Action.”

https://www.kings.uwo.ca/campus-ministry/veritas-series/

Kent Lambton Roman Catholic Family of Parishes

Fr. Chris Gillespie, pastor of the Kent Lambton Roman Catholic Family of Parishes, invites us to commemorate Sept 30 by wearing an orange shirt and introduces a video by members of the Wallaceburg Concert Band and residents of Walpole Island First Nation, Bkejwanong Territory, that features dancers, and survivors of residential schools.  In this video you will hear Tina Aquash describe how intergenerational trauma and how it affected her own family: “Intergenerational trauma is important to understand and how it affects the community even today. It’s such an important thing to understand. The effects of that were passed down to generations and that’s what’s important. Even myself growing up, because my mother didn’t hug me or tell me she loved me until I was a full adult. She didn’t know how to do that because her mother was also a survivor. So I take it she was never loved as a child herself from being in residential schools. She didn’t know how to mother or parent and then that was passed down to generations. And that’s something I’ve tried to break with my children, I told them I loved them. I said to myself I wasn’t going to take away from them, as hard as it was.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V9AmGZsPs8  (As referenced by Fr. Chris, the Summary of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada can be found at the TRC website in English | French)