TWU students, staff, and faculty are invited to gather for a Day of Learning, in advance of the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.
Day of Learning on Sept. 27, 2024
Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 honours the Indigenous victims and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. TWU joins with people across Canada in public commemoration of the painful history and ongoing impact of residential schools by hosting a Day of Learning on Sept. 27, 2024.
- We encourage students, staff, and faculty to attend, as we foster greater knowledge and understanding of Canada’s Indigenous cultures and walk together in this reconciliation process.
- Participants are invited to wear an orange shirt and to bring a pair of new or gently used children’s shoes for donation.
Sept. 27, 2024 Program
See the livestream link for Opening and Closing ceremonies.
9–11 a.m. | Opening the Circle | David E. Enarson Gymnasium
We begin the day together at 9 a.m. with an Opening the Circle to start the day with Stó:lō protocol and ceremony.
1–3 p.m. | Learning Activities | Langley campus various locations
Workshops and learning opportunities will be available in the afternoon 1–3 p.m. (movies begin at 12:30 p.m.) throughout the Langley campus. Activities run concurrently. See below for the list of activities.
Please RSVP for the afternoon workshops here.
- Movie: Indian Horse | DeVries Auditorium | 12:30–3 p.m.
Indian Horse is the story of Saul Indian Horse, an Ojibway boy from northern Ontario who escapes his demons and rough childhood through hockey. Saul is taken to St. Jerome’s Indian Residential School. It is a film adaptation of the story written by Richard Wagamese, Ojibwe.
- Movie: We Were Children | Neufeld Science Centre, Block Hall | 12:30–3 p.m.
We Were Children is the testimony of two survivors, Lyna Hart and Glen Anaquod. In 1958, Lyna was taken from her family to a school in central Manitoba, while Glen, who was orphaned, entered a school in Saskatchewan. Together, they are part of seven generations of children who were betrayed, broken and abandoned. Their voices were silenced for decades by force and by fear, and they now emerge, powerful and clear, preserved for generations to come.
- Blanket Exercise | Fraser Hall Lounge | 1–3 p.m.
This is an interactive educational program that teaches the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The program was created in response to the 1996 report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and is used as a teaching tool across Canada. Please bring a blanket.
- Indian Hospitals: Coqualeetza | Norma Alloway Library, Glass Room | 1–3 p.m.
The once-deadly epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) was in decline across much of Canada because of an antibiotic in 1950. This wasn’t the case for Indigenous communities. Malnutrition and crowded conditions were common at Residential Schools, making a way for TB transmission. Fears of interracial infection cemented existing segregation. By the 1930s, a new kind of sanatorium specifically for Indigenous people — 'Indian hospitals' — was being set up across the country, often an extension of missionary hospitals.
- Language Revitalization | Kuhn 221 | 1–3 p.m.
Language is the foundation of a culture. For Indigenous peoples, words hold knowledge, stories, songs, dances, protocols, family histories and connections. Languages also often hold the community’s customary laws that were eroded by the policies of the Indian Act. When a language dies so does the link to the cultural and historical past. Without that crucial connection to their linguistic and cultural history, people lose their sense of identity and belonging. Learn some Halq’eméylem through story and interactive methods.
- Learning to walk together in a good way: Indigenous-Settler Relations | Kuhn 401 | 1–3 p.m.
One core value of Indigenous people is relationships—relationships between individuals, families and communities as well as relationships with the land and the ancestral and spiritual realm. We are all related is key to understanding Stól:ō worldview and learning to walk together in a good way.
- Spirituality of Sacredness of the Land | Kuhn 203 | 1–3 p.m.
Christian Faith in Canada has been shaped by modern enlightenment thought. See how a person's Indigenous ancestry provides them a perspective on Christian faith and Indigenous identity or spirituality, to invigorate their own theological thought. To this end, the speaker is trying to hold together Christian faith and Indigenous spirituality, creating a dialogue in the space between that may help others on the journey to decolonize Christian faith. Discover an Indigenous voice attempting to offer a way forward through collaboration: "We must find the way to work together, and my hope is that this chapter will help."
- Paddle Journey | Meet at the Gym entrance | 1–3 p.m.
Learn about the Salmon River at TWU and enjoy a short journey on the water in a canoe. Gain greater appreciation for environmental stewardship as we walk together in a good way. Limited to the first 10 participants.
- Reconciliation through Art | Norma Alloway Library SAMC Gallery
- Session #1 | 1–2 p.m.
- Session #2 | 2–3 p.m.
Oral Tradition | 1 p.m. & 2 p.m.
Group A – Kuhn Global Lounge (121)
Group B – Kuhn 115/116
Group C – Kuhn 106Indigenous peoples have long passed on knowledge from generation to generation through oral traditions, including storytelling. Storytelling is a traditional method used to teach about cultural beliefs, values, customs, rituals, history, practices, relationships, and ways of life. It is a foundation for holistic learning, relationship building, and experiential learning. Join the sharing circle as Elders and Knowledge-keepers share their stories.
- Session #1 | 1–2 p.m.
- Session #2 | 2–3 p.m.
- Indigenous Stories Matter | Kuhn 107 | 1 p.m. & 2 p.m.
Reflections and conversations about the importance of Indigenous literatures; the value of storytelling (both written and oral) for increasing our ethical and moral response to injustice, oppression, and racism; and the significance of including Indigenous Ways of Knowing in our learning.- Session #1 | 1–2 p.m.
- Session #2 | 2–3 p.m.
- Intergenerational Trauma | Kuhn 201 | 1 p.m. & 2 p.m.
Our elders remind us that the mass removal of children from Aboriginal communities is like ripping the heart and centre out of Indigenous worlds. Once the heart was taken, everything else began to and fall away: elders had no one to teach, women had no one to care for, and men had nothing to protect and provide for. This created the conditions for the unravelling that communities struggle with to this day.- Session #1 | 1–2 p.m.
- Session #2 | 2–3 p.m
- On the Land Walking Tour | Meet at the RNT side of the Outdoor Chapel | 1 p.m. & 2 p.m.
Red cedar is the most spiritually important of plants to Stó:lō peoples and their neighbours. Walk with us in the Ecosystem Study Area as we learn from and about the tree of life.- Walk #1 | 1–2 p.m.
- Walk #2 | 2–3 p.m.
3:15–4 p.m. | Closing the Circle | David E. Enarson Gymnasium
Following the afternoon of learning activities, once again we will gather together in the Gym at 3:15 p.m., ending the day with Stó:lō protocol.
About Indigenous Initiatives at Trinity Western University
At TWU, we seek to hear, understand and acknowledge our shared history with Indigenous peoples and the impact that it continues to have throughout the generations. As a global Christian university, TWU continues to foster greater knowledge and understanding of Indigenous cultures, worldview, and history among students, staff, and faculty. We do this by providing educational opportunities, engaging in community partnerships, and through caring for and supporting Indigenous students.
Learn more at TWU's Indigenous Initiatives.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four locations in Canada: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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