A two-day event brought together the McMaster community for reflection and conversation to mark the 10-year anniversary since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report.
At the Roots in Reconciliation event this week, Indigenous speakers and subject matter experts shared insight into the TRC report and its 94 Calls to Action. The gathering was organized by the Indigenous Health Learning Lodge (IHLL).
“The 10th anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action marks a decade of both progress and persistent gaps in Canada’s journey toward justice,” said Patricia Farrugia, associate dean of Indigenous Health.
“For Indigenous peoples, this milestone is a reminder of the ongoing impacts of colonialism and the need for meaningful, sustained change.
“It also reaffirms that institutions — across health, education, government and beyond — must remain accountable and committed to implementing the Calls to Action not as a completed checklist, but as a continuous, evolving responsibility rooted in respect, partnership, and reconciliation.”
An evening of reflection
On the first night, a panel featuring Farrugia; Bernice Downey, former associate dean of Indigenous Health; and Paul O’Byrne, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences, discussed the faculty’s achievements in advancing reconciliation.
“Our time together today is about both remembering and honouring those who endured or lost their lives in residential schools. It is also about our work here in the Faculty to reconcile and ensure there is a better future for our Indigenous health sciences learners,” Downey said.
“Our mentor, Mazina Giizhik -Murray Sinclair (iban) aptly noted that the ‘mess that education created will take generations to fix.’ Our work here in the faculty is only beginning but if we stay the course, work through the challenges together, undaunted and resolute, we all benefit.”
“It is the survivor experience of the past and the community voices of the present who will continue to guide us if we collectively agree that it is both reconciliation and Indigenization we are striving for.”
In recognition of McMaster’s leadership in Indigenous education, the Mastercard Foundation recently gifted $5 million to elevate innovation in academic programs, supports and services for Indigenous students. The IHLL is among the groups that will benefit from the gift.
The evening featured songs by the Six Nations Women Singers, creating an uplifting atmosphere to honour those who have championed change.
“In the faculty, we have been committed to fostering a culturally safe environment to enable sustainable systems change and advance the work and concepts of truth and reconciliation with all aspects of Indigenous health and well-being,” O’Byrne said.
Looking to the future
On Day 2 of the event, the focus shifted from retrospective tones to the future of reconciliation.
Publisher Douglas Sinclair, a member of the Peguis First Nation of Manitoba who tracks and reports on progress toward the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action, opened the day with an insightful discussion on the headway that has been made.
Only 15 of the Calls to Action have been completed, with many still in progress or not started, Sinclair noted.
“We have described for you a mountain. We have shown you the path to the top. We call upon you to do the climbing,” Sinclair said.
Speakers who joined included Indigenous health advocate Bill Hill; Savage Bear, director for the McMaster Indigenous Research Institute; as well as representatives with Niagara Health.
The day culminated in a panel discussion focused on the launch of the IHLL’s new Culture of Safety Training course.
The online, self-directed six-week course is rooted in teachings from Six Nations and Mississaugas of the Credit, making it grounded in local Indigenous knowledge. The course is designed to strengthen cultural safety and understanding of Indigenous peoples.
“Grounding cultural safety education in Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe principles strengthens culturally safe, community-guided learning environments for all,” said Farrugia.
Registration is open now for the first cohort, which will begin in January. The course will initially be offered to faculty, staff and students within the Faculty of Health Sciences, but the IHLL plans to roll it out more broadly in the months to come.