News: Decolonization

To our community,

Today our hearts break with the affirmation of the deaths of First Nations children, and the identification of potential burial sites, near the former Chooutla Indian Residential School.  This announcement confirms another appalling truth of about the treatment of First Nations children. It is a truth we cannot turn away from if we are to walk with integrity on our journey of reconciliation.

So today we come together, in grief and love, to honour the lives of these children and to hold up Survivors, their families and communities.

Going forward, we must never forget the injustice and cruelty that allowed these children to die alone far from home. We must choose to create a future where every child matters. This means not only having the right intentions, but also being prepared to follow through with right actions.

At Yukon University, we stand together, in grief and sorrow with Residential School Survivors, their families and communities, to condemn the practices of genocide, racism, discrimination and hatred.

We commit to our own learning and unlearning journey to understand the legacy of residential schools and on-going trauma experienced by Survivors and their families, so that we will never again stand for the practice of taking children from loving homes, families and communities, stripping children of their languages, their heritage, their dignity, their rights and exposing them to violence in their learning environments.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lesley Brown
President & Vice-Chancellor
Yukon University

Gä̀gala-ƛ̓iƛ̓ətko (Nadia Joe)
Associate Vice-President, Reconciliation
Yukon University

On September 1, the Every Child Matters flag was raised and will fly for the entire month. On September 30, the National Truth & Reconciliation Survivors flag will be raised and fly permanently in honour of Residential School survivors. The Survivors’ Flag - NCTR.

FNI invites you to share your reflections on what truth and reconciliation means to you or perhaps you may want to share resources (articles, books, groups, etc.) that foster healthy discussion and thought on Truth and Reconciliation, a personal commitment to reconciliation, or anything else that will encourage healthy thought and discussion. Share them here at First Nations Initiatives' Kudoboard