National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30th, 2021, marks the first National Day for Truth & Reconciliation in Canada. This day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families, and their communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

We encourage all members of the UNB community to take this day to reflect on how they can play a part in reconciliation. Firstly, we ask that you please read the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to Canada. They can be found here

If you are looking for resources on campus, we recommend that you visit the Mi’kmaq Wolastoqey Centre website, where you can learn more about their programs, cultural resources, and supports for Indigenous students.

The UNB Community also has an Indigenous Student Council. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Violet at violet.eliza.sioux@unb.ca or Kianna at kianna.bh@unb.ca.

Furthermore, we encourage you to hear and amplify Indigenous voices into your everyday lives, whether this be through friends on campus, podcasts, music, books, or any other forms of connections you may be interested in. Here are a few recommendations:

Audiovisual Media:

Books by Indigenous Authors:

  • In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Mosionier

  • NDN Coping Mechanisms by Billy-Ray Belcourt

  • On/Me by Francine Cunningham

  • A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott

  • Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

  • Peace and Good Order by Harold B. Johnson

  • If I Go Missing by Brianna Jonnie with Nahanni Shingoose

  • Searching for…Inuktitut Style and Learning and Preserving by Breana Andrews

  • In My Own Moccasins by Helen Knott

  • Bones by Tyler Pennock

  • Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

  • Indigenous Nationhood: Empowering Grassroots Citizens by Pamela Palmater

Instagram Accounts & Topics:

  • @indigenousclimateaction

  • @wolastoqeducation

  • @fallonfarinacci

  • @unbmwc

  • @lnuey.ca

  • @wetsuweten_checkpoint

  • @indigenouswomenrising

  • @reclaimyourpower

  • #trccanada

  • #nationaldayfortandr

  • #truthandreconciliation

  • #mmiw

  • #mmiwg2s

  • #everychildmatters

  • #orangeshirtday

  • #indigenouslivesmatter