By Jack Brittle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
On September 24, the Halton Equity and Diversity Roundtable (HEDR) will host a Truth and Reconciliation Summit at the Central Branch of the Burlington Public Library.
The event will feature three speakers, each hosting their own workshop relating to a different facet of Truth and Reconciliation; the event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Daven Seebarran, manager and strategy consultant for HEDR, said that while the group is hosting the event, the summit will strive to centre Indigenous voices.
“We are not the experts on Indigenous [matters], we never claimed to be,” Seebarran said. “We are really the experts in bringing the right people to the table, and we’ve partnered with some great organizations over the last couple of years. We also recognize that our programs are really successful at getting a lot of information and a diversity of perspectives out to our members, so we’ve designed a summit that’s for our members, but also for the community.”
The first workshop, entitled Kairos Blanket Exercise, will enable participants to learn about treaties and colonization, while blankets arranged on the floor will represent the land.
Seebarran said that while simply reading about these topics and events may suffice for some, certain guests may benefit from the visual element of this exercise.
“Through this activity, you learn about treaties, land, and Indigenous identity,” Seebarran said. “You learn about the legacy of colonialism as it applies to Indigenous folks. It’s giving folks that foundational stuff that is at the heart of Truth and Reconciliation, and then throughout the day, we build on that conversation.”
The second workshop features Doran Ritchie, manager of the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network. Ritchie also helped plan the summit’s itinerary.
Ritchie, a leader from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, will deliver a talk on Indigenous governance, environmental advocacy, wildlife management, and Indigenous rights strategy.
Seebarran said that the summit will feature wide-ranging discussions and is meant to be accessible for everyone, not just those who are already familiar with the subject.
“One thing that we’ve learned from our members, as well as the community, is that different folks are coming in with different knowledge, expectations, and commitments,” Seebarran said. “So when we have a broad day like this, it allows folks with different learnings and capacities to be able to contribute in a way that’s meaningful to them.”
Chantal Garneau, Ward 3 councillor for Halton Hills, will lead the final workshop and discuss her personal journey with striving for Truth and Reconciliation, and the steps people can take to create more positive outcomes for Indigenous peoples.
“What we really want people to take away from this is this notion of ‘What are we responsible for?’” Seebarran said. “We can’t individually be responsible for all of the commitments that we’re being asked to make, and so what we’re just saying to folks is here’s what you can do.”
“If there are 70 people in the room making a tiny incremental change, those impacts can stack on each other and have a ripple effect,” Seebarran continued. “We’re asking people to make any commitment. The commitment could be something as simple as ‘I want to continue learning more,’ all the way through to ‘We will adopt a co-governance model within our organization.’ We’re hoping that somewhere on that spectrum, people will decide to act.”
Seebarran said that he hopes that the summit will become an annual event.
To purchase tickets, click here to go to www.hedroundtable.com.
