September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to honour survivors of Canada’s residential schools, their families, communities, and the children who never returned home.
OCCA serves a diverse range of people and recognizes that our work takes place on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Sylix Okanagan people. As immigrants, we commit to learning, listening, and striving to build reciprocal relationships with the Indigenous communities who have stewarded this land for time immemorial.
The federal government passed Bill C-5 in 2021, fulfilling Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to ensure public commemoration of this history becomes part of our national consciousness. This day invites reflection not only on past harms but also on the ongoing intergenerational effects experienced by Indigenous communities. Reconciliation is an active process. It requires asking difficult questions, supporting Indigenous-led initiatives, and examining how colonial legacies continue to shape our institutions.
At OCCA Communities Association, we see this day as part of an ongoing journey rather than a single act. Settlers and non-Indigenous allies can begin by engaging with community-centered resources. Explore the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, review learning materials on residential school history and the Calls to Action, and consider participating in educational programs. Some helpful starting points include:
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Government of Canada)
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation educational resources
Learning resources about First Nations, Inuit, and Métis
We invite everyone to approach these resources with openness, to reflect on what we have learned, and to take thoughtful, meaningful steps toward reconciliation in our daily lives.
We respectfully acknowledge that the OCCA is operating on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation.
Please note that we will have a photographer on site during the events. If you prefer not to be featured in any photographs, kindly contact OCCA at info@occabc.ca.
