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Seeking truth and reconciliation

Qalipu First Nation ready for second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

STEPHEN ROBERTS stephen.roberts@saltwire.com

Gathering all across the Qalipu First Nation, the call for truth and reconciliation will be heard loud and clear on Sept. 30.

The Qalipu First Nation will be hosting events throughout the region to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.

It is an important day for the band, all Indigenous people and for all Canadians.

“The Qalipu First Nation is committed to providing both members and non-members an opportunity to participate in the events to remember, honour the experience of Indigenous people, to celebrate the resilience and uphold the commitment that every child matters,” Qalipu First Nation chief Brendan Mitchell tells SaltWire.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation recognizes the legacy of the residential school system, honouring the children who never returned home, the survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities, per the Government of Canada.

It is held in conjunction with Orange Shirt Day, “an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community intergenerational impacts of residential schools and to promote the concept of ‘Every Child Matters’.”

For the occasion, all Canadians are encouraged to wear orange to honour the survivors of residential schools.

The day was made a statutory holiday by the federal government in 2021.

According to Mitchell, the truth aspect of truth and reconciliation refers to what happened and what is happening today in the relationship between Indigenous people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians and, most particularly, the relationship between Indigenous people and the federal government, provincial government, in some cases municipal government and the church.

“It’s about why it happened, in the past and what is happening today,” he explains.

The reconciliation part entails acceptance of the truth with a willingness for atonement and to move forward together in the spirit of mutual respect and positive change.

“We need atonement, we need a greater sense of respect for one another, and without that, we’re never going to get positive change,” says Mitchell.

EVENTS

The Qalipu First Nation will be hosting events marking the occasion across the west coast and central

The Qalipu First Nation invited grassroots Indigenous organizations to submit proposals for up to $2,000 per group for funding through the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation community event fund.

It will allow groups to host activities during the day, including group walks, drumming sessions, and prayer sessions. Funding will also go towards refreshments.

Of the Qalipu’s 67 communities, there will also be events in each of the Qalipu First Nation’s nine wards, including at each of its offices in Corner Brook, Gander, Glenwood, Grand Falls-Windsor, Stephenville, and two in St. George’s.

There may be other events in other communities as well.

Corner Brook will feature a big event starting around noon with drumming, singing and a barbecue at the Majestic Lawn near West Street.

This will be followed by a walk, heading down West Street and back up Park Street, to return to the Majestic Lawn.

Last year, 400 people participated in the walk and this year Mitchell says he’d like to see another 500.

A cruise ship including 4,000 passengers was scheduled to arrive on the date in Corner Brook.

Mitchell welcomes those passengers as well to attend the event.

“We’ll do our best to feed everybody,” he says.

In recognition of the Day, the Qalipu First Nation also launched a logo contest, open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in Grades Kindergarten to 12 for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

The contest closed Sept. 16.

To learn more about the Qalipu First Nation, visit qalipu.ca

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