Ribbons of (Re)Conciliation

Call to Action #62 invites Canadians to collaborate with Indigenous peoples to support, develop and implement age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties and Indigenous peoples, knowledges and cultures for K-12, post-secondary institutions and Indigenous schools. This includes the establishment of senior-level positions in government to support Indigenous content in education as well as educating teachers on how to appropriately integrate Indigenous knowledges and pedagogies into their classrooms.

Ribbons of (Re)Conciliation #62 was created in collaboration with Marissa and her mom, Lois. Woven together, the ribbons showcase the individual time spent learning marked by the sun-bleached patterning, forming a new pattern of interconnected support. Loose ends mark our ongoing journey of learning, unlearning and implementing.

Call to Action #47 asks Canadians to repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous peoples and lands such as the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius.

Ribbons of (Re)Conciliation #47 highlights that Indigenous peoples have always been here since time immemorial. We cared for and lived in relation with the land in ways that colonizers did not understand nor respect. Terra Nullius, a Latin expression meaning “nobody’s land,” was used alongside the Doctrine of Discovery to justify the colonial project of Canada, sharing that nobody lived on Turtle Island prior to European arrival. This is not true. Recognizing Truth before Reconciliation, these concepts must be repudiated by Canadians.