What Is Truth and Reconciliation and What Does It Mean to Me? (as a Settler/Canadian citizen who was an immigrant to China and returned home 10+ years later)

I share what I know about Truth and Reconciliation.

And, yes; I used to teach it. (Italics because who am I to teach the history of these beautiful cultures? Should we not empower them to ensure they are sharing their own stories? Could you imagine if I was teaching Black History in America, LOL) And admittedly, because I was in China, I hadn’t actually read the full TRC report at the time, and I was not keeping up with the Canadian news…. (If we’re being honest… most people haven’t and don’t either…but I was in China! LOL)

I lived and worked in China for a decade or so, ensuring we could respectfully blend East and West. I immersed myself in another culture, another worldview, another way of understanding history, community, responsibility, and learning. And when I came back to Canada, I was absolutely culture-shocked; not just by what I saw, but by what we still don’t seem to understand, or want to understand (I am not sure...)

That’s when Truth and Reconciliation stopped being a policy framework for me… and became something deeply personal.

What Is Truth and Reconciliation (TRC)?

(Remember I am sharing what I know, not persuading anyone of anything. I heard about TRC in 2012 through my BC Curriculum Professional Development at school, and then took a course from UBC: Indu200x: Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education. Please be sure to do all your own research and find ALL sides of the story, but my knowledge and understanding comes from the documentation provided by the Provincial and Federal governments of BC, AB, ON and Canada (I have yet to look in the other provinces and territories), from Indigenous Peoples that share their love and wisdom, and Indigenous groups working with settlers, from University of Ottawa, UBC,and Queen's University courses, and so many other sources like the cultures and people from my world travels and what not....I had 14 weeks paid vacation and travelled A LOT... LOL)

In Canada, Truth and Reconciliation refers to the work that came out of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), established in 2008 to address the legacy of the Indian Residential School system(s).

That system is the Crown/Government/People in Power at the time, which:

• Forced Indigenous children into church-run, government-funded schools

• Removed them from their families and communities (with or without the best of intentions, and this can be proven with a bit of research)

• Suppressed languages, cultures, and identities (intentionally or not; knowingly or unknowingly, and this can be proven with a bit of research)

• Involved widespread physical, emotional, and sexual abuse (all proven with a bit of research)

• Created intergenerational trauma that continues today (all proven with a bit of research)

The TRC collected thousands of survivor testimonies, released its final report in 2015, and issued 94 Calls to Action. (94! So many! I know! I just learned that recently, too! Have you heard of any??? I've only heard of 84, 85, 86 and 58 so far...but I am working on it)

At its core:

• Truth means acknowledging what actually happened and not minimizing it, not reframing it to make ourselves comfortable.

• Reconciliation means changing systems, relationships, and attitudes so that harm is not ongoing.

And no, reconciliation is not an apology, a land acknowledgement, or a checkbox. It’s long-term, uncomfortable, and unfinished….until we are all living well in this country and in agreement, even if we agree to disagree.

We need to hear all the stories because there is room in the library for all of them, and we should want and have to read them all for the strength and betterment of our lovely multicultural planet at every level and intertwined system… 

What I Actually Learned (Before I Understood the Term)

Before I really understood the politics of TRC (which I am still learning every single day that I can devote some time to), I was already teaching Indigenous stories. Even though it seemed a little appropriation/colonizing-ish, I made sure to focus on critical thinking rather than indoctrinating….after all, I was in China. They already love each other, and nature, and their land, and their teachers, and their health care workers, and me and more, but that’s more stories for later! LOL

So…I taught Turtle Island creation stories to students , and I taught about First Peoples’ Principles of Learning (FPPL)  to students and teachers and we compared them to Chinese traditions (you know, to engage students because why else would they care to read and learn about this at their age unless it relates to them; they are teenagers after all. And for teachers, well we had to apply it to our CANADIAN classrooms, so this was a way to make it relevant for all of us...White Settler/Canadian teachers + Chinese students within China systems + Indigenous stories and media )

I shared Indigenous perspectives, values, and ways of knowing, and to be honest, looking back now…without fully realizing how radical and important that actually was.

Those stories weren’t just “content.”

They were about:

• Relationship to land

• Learning through observation and experience

• Knowledge as something lived, not owned

• Community responsibility over individual competition

At the time, it felt natural. Only later did I realize: this is reconciliation in practice, not theory.

First Peoples Principles of Learning (BC and Beyond)

British Columbia’s First Peoples Principles of Learning changed how I see education forever.

Some of the core ideas:

• Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational

• Learning recognizes the role of Indigenous knowledge

• Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story

• Learning requires exploration of one’s identity

• Learning involves patience and time

Alberta has similar frameworks woven into curriculum outcomes, even if they’re not always named the same way.

Here’s the thing:

These principles aren’t just for Indigenous learners.

They’re good for humans. HUMANS ACROSS THE ENTIRE PLANET!!!

Because Then There’s China 🇨🇳

Living in China gave me language for something I couldn’t quite articulate before.

Chinese culture emphasizes:

• Collective responsibility

• Respect for elders and ancestors

• Learning as moral development, not just skill acquisition

• Endurance, patience, and long-term thinking

• Social harmony over individual grievance

Is it perfect? Of course not.

But it made me realize something uncomfortable when I came back to Canada:

We are addicted to grievance politics.

We argue over who is allowed to speak, who is allowed to hurt, and who is allowed to heal…while the systems that benefit the few at the top stay perfectly intact! (Trumparoonie, Pierre Poilievre, and Danielle Smith for example, only care to better the elite at the top… They want to keep living in a world where bullies continue to have power and honestly, when will we finally see it is ABSURD!? Do people not leave their continent?! Do people not see the other side of the story with all the technology at their fingertips?!

Why I Came Back With Culture Shock

I didn’t come back shocked by Truth and Reconciliation.

I came back shocked by how divided the country is…about pretty much everything except that hockey is still the best sport ever, regardless of what team you prefer, LOL. (just bugging of course, we know soccer is, LOL)

Some people hear Truth and Reconciliation or TRC and feel accused. Some people hear it and feel dismissed. Some feel exhausted. Some feel angry. Some feel stuck. Some hear money coming out of their pockets...

But reconciliation was never meant to be a weapon and never meant to be weaponized! And it was never meant to belong only to a select group of people at the top… politically, economically, or morally.

AND IT IS NOT OK THAT THE CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENTS (PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL) ARE NOT INVESTING WAY MORE INTO PRESERVING CANADA AND ENSURING WE ARE FOLLOWING UP ON OUR 94 CALLS TO ACTION!!!) IT IS NOT OK TO BULLY EVERYONE INTO THEIR SELFISH AND DEMEANING WAYS OF THINKING! IN MY OPINION, OF COURSE!

What Truth and Reconciliation Means to Me Now

It means:

• Telling the truth without hatred

• Listening without defensiveness

• Acting without performative guilt

• Learning without hierarchy

• Healing without erasing anyone

It means we stop treating history like a courtroom and start treating it like a shared responsibility. We stop treating this country like a business and start treating it like a multicultural community…you know like we said we would, forever ago….and then we put it in writing…

An Invitation (Not a Lecture)

I’m not interested in fighting people.

I’m interested in fighting the systems that thrive on keeping us angry, divided, and suspicious of one another.

Truth and Reconciliation isn’t about choosing sides. It’s about choosing humanity.

So here’s my bandwagon:

• Read what you can

• Share what you can

• Learn from Indigenous voices

• Reflect on your own cultural frameworks

• Build bridges instead of scorecards

• Stop thinking everyone is out to get you

• Learn how the brain works

• Learn how each and every system in each country works and from all the perspectives you can find....because if you don't you are missing information that could be brought to the table and shared so we can all live better in the longest run....
  

Keep in mind...This work is not about perfection. It’s about growing up, together.

So...I’ll keep sharing resources as I learn and figure out social media and websites and all that jazz…If you want to fight the good fight (for everyone, not just the loudest or the most powerful or with the deepest pockets), you’re welcome here. We deal with facts not fear. We critically and creatively think as much as possible. We always look for and welcome all sides of the story. Because when we can all share and understand each other, we can rest our nervous systems and care for each other instead.

Let’s stop the bullying in North America. Aren’t we exhausted already?