Falstaff Family Centre Hosts Events for Truth and Reconciliation Day

The Falstaff Family Centre in Stratford, Canada, will play a significant role in commemorating Truth and Reconciliation Day with a series of events and exhibits designed to educate the public about the region’s Indigenous history. The centre will host activities from September 22 to September 30, 2023, culminating in a day of reflection on September 30.

From September 22 to September 26 and again on September 29 and 30, the exhibit “We Were So Far Away,” organized by the Indigenous-led Legacy of Hope Foundation, will be featured in the centre’s Community Room. This exhibit shares the poignant stories of residential school survivors. Visitors can view the exhibit from 12:00 to 18:00 and purchase orange T-shirts, symbolic of the experiences faced by survivors, from Winona Sands of Howling Moon Aboriginal Arts, who represents the Walpole Island First Nation.

In addition to the main exhibit, a micro-exhibit from the Stratford-Perth Museum will showcase over 10,000 years of archaeological evidence, emphasizing the long-term Indigenous settlement along Stratford’s Avon River. Indigenous artifacts from the local museum will also enhance the exhibition. A nine-minute film by Parks Canada, titled “The Legacy of the Residential School System: An Event of National Historic Significance,” will be continuously screened throughout the event.

On September 30, the centre has planned a full schedule of activities. At 07:30, Patsy Day, an elder from the Oneida First Nation and a member of the Turtle Clan, will lead a sunrise ceremony and share Indigenous teachings. Later, at 18:00, a solidarity walk around the river will be organized by Loreena McKennitt, the centre’s owner and director, beginning at the centre’s teepee.

The day will conclude with a screening of the documentary film “Birth of a Family,” produced by the National Film Board of Canada, at 19:00. This film highlights the reunification of four siblings—Betty Ann, Esther, Rosalie, and Ben—who were among the 20,000 Indigenous children taken from their families between 1955 and 1985. Following the film, Christin Dennis Gzhiiquot, also known as Fast Moving Cloud, a residential school survivor from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, will share a story to provide further context to the film’s themes.

In addition to these events, the Falstaff Family Centre encourages residents to participate in virtual Lunch and Learn seminars presented by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. These sessions, scheduled for 13:00 from September 22 to September 26, aim to provide adults with an immersive experience to address the myths surrounding colonial history in Canada.

In a statement, McKennitt expressed gratitude for the opportunity to engage with the Calls to Action established by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She noted, “As reconciliation has evolved, albeit in small and slow degrees, we have also been privileged to experience rich opportunities to learn and deepen our insights into our collective humanity and a holistic worldview as experienced from the Indigenous perspective.”

Through these events, the Falstaff Family Centre aims to foster understanding and dialogue, inviting the community to reflect on the past while looking towards a more inclusive future.