It’s now routine for B.C. church leaders, school principals, politicians and even sports announcers to acknowledge at event openings and other gatherings the First Nations people who originally occupied the land.
But although the words have become familiar, their significance in the truth and reconciliation process should not be underestimated, says Sharon Hobenshield, director of aboriginal education and engagement at Vancouver Island University.
“Some might think it’s only a token,” Hobenshield said. “But when somebody acknowledges and pays respect to the First Peoples, it’s an opportunity to build a relationship and start to hold people accountable.
“It’s a little ‘r’ reconciliation, but it can get us to that Big ‘R’.”
The theme of truth and reconciliation is the focus of a free learning series offered by VIU. Called Nat’sa’ maht Shqwaluwun: One Heart, One Mind, the sessions — which run from January to April — range from quick “lunch and learn” events to full-day and multiple-day workshops and are open to all: faculty, staff, students and community.
The Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission spent five years examining the destructive legacies of the residential-school system.
At its conclusion in 2015, it made 94 recommendations that have been described as a wholesale restructuring of Canada’s relationship with First Nations peoples.
With the learning series, Hobenshield said she wants Vancouver Island University to engage with citizens, particularly non-Indigenous Canadians, in a way that doesn’t just give them facts about First Nations.
She hopes participants can start looking critically at themselves and their own history in relation to Aboriginal Peoples.
When the lack of power afforded First Nations peoples is acknowledged, it demands an accounting, which can make non-Indigenous Canadians uncomfortable, she said.
“But as an educator, I believe the deepest learning comes from those times when we are most vulnerable and uncomfortable.”
Even those with good intentions can become stalled — paralyzed in their efforts to acknowledge First Nations and begin a new conversation.
For a start, people are often held back by fear of unintentionally giving offence.
“People are often scared they will get it wrong,” Hobenshield said.
“But I always tell them: ‘It’s not about getting it right or wrong, it’s about trying.’ ”
She said that once a conversation has started, non-Aboriginal Canadians often become so wound up about their need to do something that the slow pace of change can be frustrating for them.
“They want to be supportive and they want get to a place of action, and they become frustrated when it doesn’t happen,” Hobenshield said.
“But getting to a place of action is going to be a long process for all of us.
“We are not going to be able to fix everything in three or four short sessions.”
To learn more about First Nations education initiatives at VIU, go to aboriginal.viu.ca.
