Scouts Canada has, this summer, officially committed to engage actively with Truth and Reconciliation. While Scouting was not specifically named in the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Scouts Canada does hold at least the same responsibility as all Canadians to act for change. In addition, Scouting programs were used in the Residential Schools and we need to come to terms with that.
Scouting specific resources are few at present and are actively being discussed and developed with First Nations, Inuit and Metis Scouters and partners. Our sections will engage in some of this learning this fall, but because of planning and timing there may not be as much this week as some may wish. We will mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this year and every year, as we hope you will too. We will follow up with further learning in our programming through the year. However, we also want to share some resources that will will likely use in our programming and which you may find helpful in your own journey or that of your family.
Attached to this post is a pdf that Scouts Canada has produced to help in starting this work in our sections.
For more general use this week is a great resource day by day from the Centre for Truth and Reconciliation:
There is a lot of stuff at that link above, so use the descriptions to make some choices that match where you and you family are on this journey and don’t try to watch everything. There is a good mix of information about indigenous teaching as well as residential schools and current actions.
The residential schools information can be challenging stuff. Take time to respect your own emotions and those of the storytellers. Preview things before sharing with young children. There is nothing intended to shock here, but the bare facts can be very hard at times. Make sure you also choose some of the videos that speak to positive change and action and teach indigenous perspectives. There is real hope and we need to nurture it together.
Yours in Scouting,
Keith Nunn