Hi there,
On May 27th, the world learned that the remains of 215 children were discovered at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School here in British Columbia.
People around the world are mourning with the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community.
My thoughts and prayers are with the indigenous people of Canada, who are deeply hurting in the aftermath of thousands of Indigenous children being taken from their families and sent to residential schools and foster care, as part of a cultural genocide in our country.
I have been wondering what I can do.
To start, I have committed to:
Preparing my mind and heart to be authentic in seeking truth and reconciliation. This means challenging my own biases when I become aware of them.
Educating myself through books, films and articles.
Sharing resources and offering information to others.
Books that have helped to grow my perspective:
- 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act, by Bob Joseph
- Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference, and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, by Jessica McDiarmid
- From the Ashes: My Story of Being Metis, Homeless, and Finding My Way, by Jesse Thistle
- No Future Without Forgiveness, by Desmond Tutu
I am willing to question and I am willing to make mistakes as I consider how to approach difficulty in ways that are thoughtful and respectful.
I am so sorry for the loss and suffering of First Nations communities.
I invite you to join me on the path of reconciliation.
Kind regards,
Tegan Smith, MCP, RPP, MCIP (she/her/hers)
Principal, Channel Consulting
channelconsulting.ca
tsmith@channelconsulting.ca
778.998.9075
I acknowledge that Channel is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.