Truth & Reconciliation

Hello, my name is Tania Vance from Canada’s First Nations Radio. Truth and Reconciliation Day is a meaningful day to me as my family has been directly affected by the generational trauma and residential schools, and colonization in this country. I am only two generations from residential schools because I am the granddaughter of a residential school survivor.

Truth and Reconciliation Day is a time to reflect. There is no reconciliation without acknowledging the truth of what happened to indigenous people and how this has affected indigenous people in the coming generations. By learning the true history and acknowledging the wrongs of the past, there can be a deeper understanding, which will create unity and positive change.

Meduh.

My name is Craig Ellis, general manager of Northern Native Broadcasting, CFNR, and Terrace and CJNY in Vancouver, and I have the privilege of speaking to you today from the unseated and ancestral territory of the Kilis people of the Tim Chan First Nation. September 30th in Canada is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and I invite you on that day, especially to focus on two very important words in that statement, truth and reconciliation.

In order for us to understand the truth, we need to look back in our history and a little known document called the Royal Proclamation of 1763. This document was never taught to me when I was in school back in the sixties and seventies. I believe that by reading this document, it’ll give you a better understanding of First Nations rights, titles, and protections of their land.

And I think it’s disgraceful that this was ignored by those who taught history. As challenging as that part of our history is it’s nowhere near as difficult and challenging as the dark part of our history, known as the Indian Residential School System. Imagine that trying to eradicate a nation’s culture through forced indoctrination is wrong, period.

Nobody has the right to show up at your door and confiscate your children, move them a thousand miles away so their parents don’t have access to them, or vice versa. Nobody has the right to do that. Imagine the disconnect and disorientation these children must have felt when they returned home from school if they were lucky enough to do so.

They no longer fit into their societies. They no longer fit into their families culturally, and they also didn’t fit into the culture they were supposed to integrate into because of systemic racism. And the generational trauma that followed is still strongly felt by many generations to this very day. I think for reconciliation to happen, we must first recognize those mistakes of the past and then acknowledge them, and then following that understanding that we can’t change the past.

What we do have within our power to do is build a better future, a brighter future for everyone. A more just future for everyone. A future that’s healthier for all. I’m Craig Ellis from Northern Native Broadcasting, and I thank you for allowing me some time to share my thoughts on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

What does truth and reconciliation mean to you? As someone who grew up removed from my culture, due to the impacts of colonization, discrimination, and the attempted genocide of an entire race, to me, truth and reconciliation means reclaiming the knowledge, traditions, and culture of my ancestors. It’s about making safe spaces for honest conversation and creating hope for future generations.

Hi, I’m Rob, and I’ve had the honor of working with this incredible indigenous led organization for about a decade now with CFNR. And of course now with CJNY, I’ve been working alongside people who are colleagues and of course members of the communities, many of which now I consider friends as this day, this week, this month is upon us.

For me. Truth and Reconciliation Day is a moment to reflect, to learn. And to honor the truths of the indigenous people’s experiences in Canada, it’s time to recognize the painful history and the ongoing impacts of residential schools and colonial policies. As someone who is not indigenous, I know my role in this journey is to listen, truly listen to the voices that have been long ignored, or even worse silenced as a moment of learning and teaching.

Listening is not passive. It’s an active commitment to understanding, to growing and standing beside indigenous peoples in their fight for justice, recognition and healing. Over the years, I’ve learned that being an ally means more than just words. It means action, respect, and humility. It means supporting indigenous led efforts, advocating for meaningful change, and amplifying indigenous voices.

And these are all actions I strive to take. But it does start with listening with an open heart and mind, ready to learn, and also a willingness to unlearn. Today I encourage everyone to take a moment to listen. Listen to the stories of the survivors, to the wisdom of their elders and to the voices of indigenous youth, each story.

Is a thread in repairing and making the fabric of truth whole again, and each story is essential in our shared journey towards reconciliation. Let’s all commit today, every day to listen, learn, and act, because reconciliation is a journey. We must all walk together.