How to Honour The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
• By Kerry Wyllie
Commemorating and remembering the painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools in Canada is an important part of the reconciliation process.
Here at Earth Rated, we observe September 30th as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by recognizing it as a paid holiday.
Earlier this week, our team was lucky enough to attend a workshop led by Dolorès, from UAPASHKUSS to share more about her Innu culture and insights into Indigenous history. We began working with Dolorès last year through our support of the Pakatakan Project. A partnership in collaboration with SNAP Québec and the UAPASHKUSS which commits to protecting and recognizing Innu sacred natural sites.
We are so grateful to Dolorès for taking the time to meet with us and share her rich culture and history.
As part of our commitment to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, our team was also encouraged to do some research for the UAPASHKUSS group in order to help them with their outreach and education efforts. The idea was to find the most references that we could in order to help Dolorès and the UAPASHKUSS group better document Innu history. In the spirit of recognizing our past, it's important to make progressive steps forward through education.
On top of research & education, what else can be done to mark this important day? We suggest volunteering & donations! At our HQ we organized a food and clothing drive for local charity Resilience Montreal. They're a wellness center that provide a welcoming and safe oasis from the hardships of the streets where people with trauma are honoured, defended and can access services that meet their needs.
From meal prep, to cleaning, to sorting through donation items, our team rolled up their sleeves to lend a helping hand.
While the province of Quebec (where our HQ is located) does not currently recognize this day as a statutory holiday, Earth Rated does. We're hoping to see this day recognized by all companies across Canada in the coming years. 🧡
On top of research & education, what else can be done to mark this important day? We suggest volunteering & donations! At our HQ we organized a food and clothing drive for local charity Resilience Montreal. They're a wellness center that provide a welcoming and safe oasis from the hardships of the streets where people with trauma are honoured, defended and can access services that meet their needs.
From meal prep, to cleaning, to sorting through donation items, our team rolled up their sleeves to lend a helping hand.
While the province of Quebec (where our HQ is located) does not currently recognize this day as a statutory holiday, Earth Rated does. We're hoping to see this day recognized by all companies across Canada in the coming years. 🧡
