Reconciliation Workshop at Perth’s Stewart Park Festival

Plenty Canada’s appearance at the Stewart Park Festival was another resounding success! Thank you, miigwetch, to everyone who came to visit the workshop provided by Plenty Canada and the Lanark County Neighbours for Truth and Reconciliation on the weekend. Attendees were invited to see the birch bark canoe building process in person, and talk with Larry, Chuck, and volunteers about our reconciliation projects, and the significance of the canoe to the culture of Indigenous peoples.

Similar to our July 3rd workshop, we invited people to anonymously write down what reconciliation means to them, and what they would like to see done about the issue. The responses were both varied and informative--check them out below!
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What does reconciliation mean to you? What would you like to see done?

• Equal education funding--a no brainer.
• Growth
• ​Not just tolerance of differences, but appreciation of differences.
• Reconciliation begins with recognition--of lands rights, culture, and languages :)
• ​We are all Treaty People--honour the Treaties.
• Openness to changing preconception; fairness; put the question on Facebook and the website
• Doing what is way overdue.
• An endless search and journey into finding oneness of Being. We need to be giving and selfless, and contribute to goodness locally.
• ​Reconciliation means that non-native population becomes informed about the numerous issues facing Canada’s first inhabitants, the origin of harms and their legacy, acceptance, understanding and the will to alter preconceived notions. Both ‘white’ and native groups need to revisit beliefs with a view to finding a path forward in today’s ever-changing world. Teach our children the history of our nation--the good, the bad, and the ugly. Start in our local schools.
• Kairos blanket workshops, conducted in schools.
• Native cultural days, in conjunction with Stewart festival--sacred dances, food, and crafts.
• Doing more to contribute to reserves in need (i.e. adopt a community).
• What’s the next step beyond reconciliation? (Atonement?)
• ​Communication and the opportunity for understanding, coming together.

We will continue bringing communities together through further discussion at our events, reigniting the spirit of nation-to-nation dialogue and respect for each other, the land, and our future generations. Stay tuned for more of Plenty Canada’s events including the “Renewing our Friendship” event in Almonte August 19th, the Silver Lake Pow Wow August 26th and 27th, and our traditional feast in mid September.

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​Plenty Canada wants to hear what reconciliation means to you! Share your thoughts in a comment below.