January 4, 2017 - 1:45pm
It began with the launch of the nationally recognized Witness Blanket art installation and will continue into 2017. VIU is honoured to be supporting Reconciliation Road: Join the Journey with VIU, a series of events and activities that support the process and meet the challenge of reconciliation between Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
When Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its report in 2015 there was a clear call to action for educational institutions to take the lead in addressing the challenge of reconciliation. For many years VIU has been on that path — one of the University’s fundamental values is to build positive reciprocal relationships with First Nations communities and create a supportive and culturally relevant environment for Indigenous students. Reconciliation Road is one more step on this ongoing journey.
The goal of the series is to engage Canadians in numerous events and conversations to focus on the challenge of reconciliation, why it’s important and how they can get involved.
Some of the key events in the series included a concert with Buffy Sainte-Marie in partnership with the Port Theatre; a Special Meeting of Convocation to confer an Honorary Degree on Buffy Sainte-Marie; the second annual Indigenous Speaker Series in partnership with the Laurier Institution and CBC Radio One’s Ideas; and Testify which pairs lawyers and artists to create conversations around the theme of reconciliation.
As well as these key events, numerous other activities are taking place, including Coast Salish Protocol Sessions and workshops on Conversations Toward Reconciliation and Healing.
A full list of activities is available on the Reconciliation Road website at viu.ca/reconciliationroad.
*This article originally appeared in the Fall/Winter 2016 issue of VIU Magazine. Check out more stories from the latest issue of VIU Magazine here.
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