Responsibilities for Reconciliation: Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Educator Perspectives on Action

• In Event: Race, Ethnicity, Religion, and Language in the Classroom

Abstract

The conclusion of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Canada (TRC) has brought Indigenous-settler relationships to the forefront in ways we have not seen before. The release of the final report and 94 Calls to Action have resulted in public education campaigns to increase knowledge about the residential school system and intergenerational trauma. This paper reports on the findings from my doctoral dissertation in which I investigated the ways that Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators understand and make meaning of reconciliation after organizing and/or participating in a TRC-inspired event held in Ontario, Canada. Using conversational interviews, I found that these educators emphasized that reconciliation is difficult – but it is necessary and possible through efforts in education and relationship building.

Author

• Kaitlyn Watson, The University of Western Ontario