Education Minister Cliff Cullen and Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere announced today that the province is providing $75,000 in funding to support Truth and Reconciliation Week 2021.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation will lead events, and activities will focus on children in grades 5 to 12.
The programming will include land and treaties, language and culture, truth and reconciliation, Orange Shirt Day and elder-youth knowledge transfer.
Education Minister Cullen talked about the learning opportunities that come with this week,
“Educators across Manitoba have valuable teaching and learning resources for their classrooms made available through the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation; This will provide educational leaders an incredible opportunity not only for their students but also for themselves to better understand, reflect and learn about Indigenous history.”
The NCTR will provide workshops and activities for students supported by artistic and cultural performances by First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists.
Reconciliation Minister Lagimodiere spoke about the importance of this week,
“Our government is committed to advancing reconciliation by supporting programming offered by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation that will help Manitobans deepen their understanding of how we can collectively advance reconciliation. These events will focus on increasing awareness, knowledge and understanding among youth to encourage reflection and meaningful discussions about the impacts of residential schools. It will also give youth the opportunity to learn about the important contributions that Indigenous peoples have made and continue to make in our province and across Canada, and the importance of respecting the treaties and embracing cultural diversities.”
Truth and Reconciliation Week will run from Sept. 27th to Oct. 1st.
Last year, Manitoba and Ontario provided funding toward Truth and Reconciliation Week, the only two provinces to support the national event.
The event in 2020 registered over 500,000 participants, including students, teachers and general attendees.
For more details and to sign up for the 2021 Truth and Reconciliation Week events, click here.
