The Falstaff Family Centre is the venue for a week of events capped by the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.
Activities are intended to help foster learning, awareness, inclusivity, as well as an understanding of the impact of colonialism, including the legacy of residential schools.
Loreena McKennitt, The Falstaff Family Centre Owner and Director, said that the centre is grateful for the opportunity to lean into the Calls to Action as set out by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Events were announced on Tuesday.
Activities start bright and early at 7:30 a.m. on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, with the sunrise ceremony and Indigenous teachings with Patsy Day, an Oneida First Nation elder and member of the Turtle Clan.
Day offers Grandmother Moon teachings providing insights into the natural world and the human spirit.
A Solidarity Walk around the river for the public, led by McKennitt, departs from the FFC Tipi at 6 p.m.
Following that at 7 p.m., there is a National Film Board film playing at the community room entitled Birth of a Family. The film is about the reunification of four siblings, among the 20,000 Indigenous Canadian children taken from their families from 1955 to 1985.
An exhibit from the Indigenous-led Legacy of Hope Foundation, We Were So Far Away, will be on display in the community room from Sept. 22-26, 29 & 30 between noon and 6 p.m.
During exhibit hours, Orange t-shirts will be for sale by Winona Sands of Howling Moon Aboriginal Arts, a member of Walpole Island First Nation.
A micro exhibit that displays over 10,000 years of archaeological evidence that indicates long-term Indigenous settlement along Stratford’s Avon River will also be showcased, on loan from Stratford Perth Museum.
A collection of regional Indigenous artifacts will also be showcased, on loan from the Stratford Perth Museum.
A nine-minute film entitled The Legacy of the Residential School System: An Event of National Historic Significance from Parks Canada will play continuously in the exhibition space.
During the week people are also invited to join 50-minute daily webinars at 1 p.m., called Lunch and Learns, which include a moderator and panelists and are presented by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
