June 21 was National Aboriginal Day in Canada, and to coincide with the celebration, Vancity launched its newest impact video about Reconciliation Canada. In November 2012, Vancity was proud to announce its founding partnership supporting Reconciliation Canada’s efforts to revitalize the relationships amongst Aboriginal peoples and all Canadians.
The three-minute video explains the work underway to help people make the connection between the Indian residential schools and the challenges facing aboriginal communities, and how we can participate in making change happen.
As social justice is core to Vancity, our goals strongly align with those of Reconciliation Canada. As a founding partner, Vancity has made a substantial contribution to help foster awareness and understanding, to help find a way forward.
A recent opinion piece in the Vancouver Sun by Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, ambassador for Reconciliation Canada, reinforces the importance of reconciliation by unifying the voice of Aboriginal peoples with all Canadians.
“My commitment to reconciliation is a result of my experience. I was a little, six year-old child, in the summer of 1946, when I was abandoned at St. Michael’s Indian Residential School at Alert Bay, BC,” says Chief Joseph. “I had no idea that other Aboriginal children throughout Canada were experiencing the same trauma of being torn away from their families and communities to attend these now infamous schools. For over a hundred years, it is estimated that 150,000 children suffered the same fate. I also didn’t know that the last Indian residential school wasn’t to close until 1996.”
"Reconciliation Canada's call is for all British Columbians to take action and move beyond apologies by registering for the September 22 Walk for Reconciliation. Let us respond to this call. Let's demonstrate to the world that Canadians care,” said Chief Joseph.
The Walk for Reconciliation takes place September 22 – you can register and learn about all the events at reconciliationcanada.ca.
“I have a feeling this is going to be one of those watershed moments in Canadian history. That we really are going to gather and thousands upon thousands of us are going to walk together for reconciliation,” says Linda Morris, Vancity’s senior vice president of business development, member and community engagement.