published 10/01/2024
September 30, 2024, marks the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. On this day, we are encouraging and inviting our lawyers, paralegals, legal assistants, students, and staff to take steps to further our knowledge and understanding of the generational impacts of residential schools, and to honour and remember the children who never returned home, the survivors, their families and communities.
Publicly acknowledging and honouring this day is a vital component of the reconciliation process, which is further outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. TDS supports practices that address the calls directed at the justice system, particularly Call to Action #27:
“We call upon the Federation of Law Societies of Canada to ensure that lawyers receive appropriate cultural competency training, which includes the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.”
TDS continues to encourage all its lawyers and students to participate in and complete the Indigenous Intercultural Awareness and Competency Training called The Path – which is an online educational course provided by the Law Society of Manitoba designed to help us increase our understanding of Indigenous cultures, the impacts of colonization and residential schools and to learn from stories of social and economic success, reconciliation and resilience. We have also arranged for speakers to meet with our lawyer and staff community to build our understanding and awareness of the residential school system and its impacts and show our dedication to reconciliation.
As a symbol of our support for the goals of reconciliation and as a means of increasing our community’s awareness, TDS will be providing orange t-shirts to all employees that were purchased from Dreamcatcher Promotions, an Indigenous-owned company that donates $2.00 from every shirt sold to an Indigenous organization that supports residential school survivors. We also encourage everyone to participate in virtual and in-person events happening around the city, province and nation, including events and programming held by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, Manitoba Museum's programs and exhibits on the history and effects of residential schools and the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq's special programming.
For more information on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, including educational resources, events, and ways to get involved, see the links below:
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – Government of Canada
Southern Chiefs' Organization - Event List
DISCLAIMER: This article is presented for informational purposes only. The content does not constitute legal advice or solicitation and does not create a solicitor client relationship. The views expressed are solely the authors’ and should not be attributed to any other party, including Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP (TDS), its affiliate companies or its clients. The authors make no guarantees regarding the accuracy or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to via this article. The authors are not able to provide free legal advice. If you are seeking advice on specific matters, please contact Keith LaBossiere, CEO & Managing Partner at kdl@tdslaw.com, or 204.934.2587. Please be aware that any unsolicited information sent to the author(s) cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.
While care is taken to ensure the accuracy for the purposes stated, before relying upon these articles, you should seek and be guided by legal advice based on your specific circumstances. We would be pleased to provide you with our assistance on any of the issues raised in these articles.