September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, one of 94 calls to action identified in Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. Call to Action #80 asked that the federal government collaborate with Indigenous peoples to establish a day to “honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”
UTFA stands with Indigenous members of the University of Toronto community in recognizing the particular roles and responsibilities that we in the post-secondary sector have to reflect on. We also note our collective responsibility as a society to take up these Calls to Action, and we echo the Yellowhead Institute’s call for accountability to this end.
We strongly encourage our members to hear the calls for justice and join in a broad public dialogue aimed at dismantling anti-Indigenous racism at the University of Toronto and beyond. We further acknowledge the need to continue conversations with our colleagues, families, students, and other community members about how our faculty associations can support and effect systemic change.
Please view the Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation page on OCUFA’s website for information on a variety of topics related to colonization, decolonization, territorial acknowledgements, and Indigenous movements.