Agency Response to Land Acknowledgment Requests
Dear Friends and Community Members,
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a difficult day for Indigenous peoples, families and communities who are healing from the intergenerational and ongoing traumas inflicted through colonial violence, including Residential Schools. We are so glad you’re interested in advancing truth and reconciliation within your agency/community, and we encourage you to learn more about our shared responsibilities of reconciliation.
Atlohsa has been receiving numerous requests for land acknowledgements and speaking engagements for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. While we are grateful that so many community members are interested in marking this day, Atlohsa staff are not available to take on this work. Being an Indigenous agency, our efforts are focused on supporting Indigenous community and doing the healing work that is so needed in our communities, especially on the difficult day of Orange Shirt Day.
While we are not able to support your speaking request, we would like to suggest other ways you may commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, such as:
- Engage in self-directed education related to settler colonialism and how it has affected generations of Indigenous people, families and communities.
- Donate to one of the agencies that delivers direct support to Indigenous people affected by the Residential School system in Canada.
- Support Atlohsa by purchasing an Orange Shirt from Atlohsa Gifts and speak with staff to learn about your responsibilities for truth and reconciliation.
- Attend local events on September 30th, and year round.
Atlohsa and the Office of Indigenous Initiatives have partnered to deliver a month-long speaker series, ReconciliACTION: An (Un)Learning Series offered at various colonial and Indigenized spaces across the city. We invite you to learn with us - Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members - as we journey to reconcile Canada’s ongoing settler colonialism with the loving future we envision for our communities. All are welcome.
Atlohsa is also hosting a public event on September 30th in Wortley Village on the Green. This is a day for Indigenous peoples to support one another and celebrate our strength and gifts. Likewise, this is a day for non-Indigenous peoples to join us to learn more about colonial impacts.
Chi-Miigwech (Ojibwe), Yaw^ko (Oneida), Anushiik (Lenape), Thank you,
Atlohsa Family Healing Services Staff and Community
