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Our History

​Formerly called the Indigenous Relations Working Group, the newly formed Truth & Reconciliation Action Group includes people from FirstU and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ottawa. Prompted by the horror and increased public awareness resulting from the first announcement of unmarked children's graves at the Kamloops residential school, this group met to discuss how we might identify ​and undertake meaningful, sustained reconciliation actions.
These include a mixture of both internally-focused self-examination and learning initiatives and externally-focused advocacy, fundraising and partnership initiatives. All externally-focused initiatives will be ones called for, and ideally led, by Indigenous people.

our plan

Our goals include: raising awareness and educating non-Indigenous people, participating as allies in initiatives led by Indigenous organizations, advocating for systemic change, and fundraising.
Activities may include:
  • Organizing educational events open to the public with Indigenous guest presenters
  • Hosting a public exhibit borrowed from the Legacy of Hope Foundation at FirstU
  • Holding discussion circles for FirstU and Fellowship congregants to reflect on our understandings, beliefs and experiences as we learn and grow
  • Researching and seeking guidance from Indigenous elders and leaders to build relationships and engage as supporting allies in Indigenous-led initiatives

Get Involved
If you would like to get involved, scroll down for actions we're supporting, suggested reading, and more.

​For more information or to join our group, please contact trag@firstunitarian.ca

reparations

Below, you'll find a short list of Indigenous organizations that could use your financial support. There are many more, but these are a place to start.
​
Minwaashin Lodge
Minwaashin Lodge provides programs and services to Indigenous women and children who are survivors of domestic and other forms of violence, including the effects of the residential school system. Programs and services are provided in the context of cultural beliefs and values to ensure a holistic approach is used on the healing journey.

Odawa Native Friendship Centre
A self-determined Indigenous owned and operated community centre offering programs, services and supports to Ottawa's urban Indigenous community.

Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health
More than a health centre, Wabano is a proud, Indigenous organization dedicated to helping Indigenous people live the good life. Here, First Nations, Inuit and Métis people guide the path of their health and their healthcare.

Legacy of Hope Foundation
A national Indigenous charitable organization with the mandate to educate and create awareness and understanding about the Residential School System. The LHF supports the ongoing healing process of Residential School Survivors, and their families and seeks their input on projects that honour them.

Indian Residential School Survivors Society
The Indian Residential School Survivor Society (IRSSS) is a provincial organization with a twenty-year history of providing services to Indian Residential School Survivors.

we were at

MARCH for Truth and Justice!
Saturday, July 31

The Truth and Reconciliation Action Group took part in July 31's March for Truth and Justice.
We marched, with Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, Charlie Angus, and local Elders, from the Centennial Flame to the Justice Department in Ottawa to support the demand for an independent investigation into Canada's residential "school" system led by a special prosecutor.

First Step: Join the #94in94 campaign

We invite you to join this media campaign - a collaboration between Reconciliation Thunder and Circles for Reconciliation - to raise awareness of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. 

"Daily, the #94in94 campaign will highlight each of the 94 Calls to Action in as many days, encouraging people across Turtle Island to take action in a variety of ways. The campaign will conclude on September 30, in honour of Orange Shirt Day and the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, commemorating the tragic legacy of residential schools in Canada."

To sign up for this campaign go to: reconciliationthunder.org
​

we are supporting

Walk of Sorrow
​Patricia Ballantyne - after hearing about the unmarked graves at the residential school in Kamloops, BC - decided to walk from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, to Ottawa on a journey of healing. A main goal of Patricia’s is to reach Ottawa in August and raise awareness about current-day Indigenous childcare policies.

“I am on a healing journey to educate about the effects of residential schools and how it impacted us as First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, not a protest. Easier said than done, I know... we need to heal ourselves so we can take back what is rightfully ours. The right to raise our children. The right to abolish the Child and Family Services Act, the Childcare Regulations, so our FN communities can create their own Acts, policies and regulations with our Elders.”
~ Patricia Ballantyne
Please consider taking the following actions:

Projects At First Unitarian

Ajashki Means Soil in Algonquin Language
Ajashki is FirstU’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s “Call to Action,” the UN’ Sustainable Development Goal #2 to end poverty, and UNDRIP’s effort to reduce systemic racism. Ajashki wants to harness the potential of youth leaders by promoting access to Indigenous language and culture related to ancestral gardening practices. You can read more about the Ajashki Project HERE.

suggested reading

Calls to Action
​Read all 94 Calls to Action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and put pressure on local and national governments and organizations to make good on them.

Books for Young Children
After the first mass grave was uncovered at the former Kamloops residential "school", the CBC issued an article (Chantelle Bellrichard) suggesting books about the residential "school" system that are age-appropriate for kids under twelve. Read these aloud if you need a starting point from which to build conversations about the children whose lives were lost at the hands of Canada's residential "school" system. You can find a pdf of the article here.

​CUC STATEMENT - ​FOLLOWING THE DISCOVERY OF A CHILDREN'S MASS GRAVE ON THE SITE OF KAMLOOPS INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL

Since the initial uncovering of the bodies 215 children on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, many more remains have been unearthed. As of July 13, 2021, the remains of 1,665 Indigenous children have been found, and we know there are many more who still need to be returned to their homes and extended families.
Below is the CUC statement following that initial discovery in Kamloops:
"Canadian Unitarian Universalists share the grief and sorrow over the recent discovery of the remains of 215 children on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. We are profoundly shaken, while recognizing that sadly it does not come as a shock to many Indigenous families across the country.
​The discovery further shows the immense harm done by the residential school system and the effects that continue to be felt today. This is genocide, and there are remains of children and youth at almost every former residential school site. It is a start, but not enough, for the government to offer reparations for the 215 children; we urge that it must be a priority to recover the remains of all the other lost children.
​The CUC committed in 2014 to upholding the recommendations of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and we reaffirm our support for implementing this, as well as the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as the best means of addressing the injustices Indigenous people in Canada face.
We encourage Canadians to write to their Member of Parliament to press for action that will help repair some of the harm done, to consider donating to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, and to continue the work to educate ourselves about the history and impact of the residential school system. 
Together we must ensure that every child matters and no children are forgotten."
"We acknowledge that our campus is located on traditional, unsurrendered and unceded Algonquin Anishinaabeg Territory;
and that the work of reconciliation is a responsibility of our congregation, and of all Canadians.  "Our goal is to educate ourselves and all
who have ears to hear, to be of service to those who are at risk, and to advocate for justice.