Call to Action 80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada reads:
We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.
In response to this Call to Action, the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada was observed on September 30, 2021. The College of Pharmacy used this day, and the days leading up to it, to reflect on the solemn history of residential schools and the intergenerational harms and trauma they have inflicted on Indigenous communities across Canada.
The College of Pharmacy began each day of the week by sharing curated emails and social media posts that provided reflections and access to resources. As well, important Indigenous knowledge pieces – shared with us by Dr. Jaris Swidrovich, a respected pharmacist, educator, advocate and member of Saskatchewan’s Yellow Quill First Nation – were also shared each day to provide learning opportunities for our students, staff and faculty.
In providing access to this information, the College of Pharmacy hopes to have generated a starting point for learning, with the goal of encouraging continued self-initiated knowledge sourcing and ongoing personal reflection well beyond September 30.