When I moved to Canada and took on several leadership roles, I learned even more about the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, Orange Shirt Day, and their experiences with residential schools. Last year, on September 30, 2021, Canada held its first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. This year there were many, many more public commemorations of this national day. Even in my apartment building posters were placed throughout the building commemorating the day.
Reflecting on my career and how both Canada and the U.S. have their respective days, I recognize that I learned and gained so much more about Truth and Reconciliation than I ever did in my formal education and leadership training. Along the way and with the encouragement and support of colleagues, I began my own journey toward Truth and Reconciliation. Below I share five (5) ways that worked for me, I hope they are helpful for you:
Read Thomas King’s book: “The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative”: This book helped me understand why truth-telling is important as we’ve been told many falsehoods about Indigenous peoples through a colonization lens. There’s so much unlearning and relearning that leaders need to do to be true allies.
Participate in the KAIROS Blanket Exercise: This powerful exercise moved me to act and recognized that leaders have a definite role to play to create space for Indigenous colleagues to speak to their own priorities and not have it done for them.
Acknowledge the Land from an authentic and sincere place: Over the course of my 10 years living in Canada, the Land Acknowledge protocol has changed from a single sentence to more inclusive and Afrocentric statements. While the protocol varies, leaders have the opportunity to express their connection authentically and unscripted. Use it for truth-telling, building relationships, and making connections toward reconciliation.
What has worked for you? Among the five (5) items I suggested, what have you done or planned to do? Do you have a book or podcast to recommend?
I’d love to hear what you think.
Also, Here are some Helpful Search Terms to get you started on your journey(Note: searching with quotes helps improve results):