Warning — the content below may be distressing. Information regarding mental and emotional support services are provided below:
Where can I go for immediate support?
Your well-being is important to us. If you require immediate mental and emotional support, the following are resources that you can access:
The BC crisis line run by the KUU-US Crisis Line Society can be reached at 1-800-588-8717, and a 24-hour national crisis line for former students and those affected can be reached at 1-866-925-4419.
Indian Residential School Survivors Society for crisis support 24/7 1-800-721-0066.
BACI’s employee and family services provider, Telus Health, offers counselling and wellness resources at www.baci.lifeworks.com. Telus Health can also be reached at 1.844.671.3327.
For immediate mental health support or referral, call the BC Mental Health Support Line at 310-6789 (no area code) 24 hours a day.
As you know, the Provincial and Federal Governments have declared September 30 as a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. All BACI programs and services that typically close for a statutory holiday will be closed on Tuesday, September 30.
BACI appreciates this step taken to commemorate Truth and Reconciliation and will respect this opportunity for our employees to “…honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.” (TRC Call to Action #80)
In light of the listening, learning, work and commitment needed to move toward Truth and Reconciliation, we have included some suggestions below for activities to participate in:
- Join us in learning more about and honouring the history, strengths and contributions of Indigenous peoples in Canada. There are many potential sources of information, such as:
- Learn more about Indian Residential Schools — take time to read and reflect upon the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action and commit to taking action on at least one of the calls.
- Learn more about the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites Associated with Indian Residential Schools.
- Learn more about the National Enquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and the calls for justice.
- Share what you have learned with family and friends. Encourage others to learn more too.
- Wear orange on September 30 to honour Survivors of residential schools and those who never returned home.
- Celebrate Indigenous excellence — for inspiration, take a look at the Indspire Foundation Awards celebrating Indigenous achievement, or the Influential Indigenous Women Timeline at the Canada School of Public Service.
- Consider donating to, volunteering for, or finding other ways to support Indigenous organizations and causes.
- Make a new or renewed pledge to do your part towards reconciliation. More than ever, we are reminded of the listening, learning, work and commitment needed to move toward Truth and Reconciliation.
Some other ideas:
- Participate in:
- Events and activities in Burnaby leading up to Sept 30.
- Virtual events presented by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation leading up to Sept 30.
- The Intergenerational March to commemorate Orange Shirt Day at UBC on September 30.
- Other events being held in Metro Vancouver to recognize Truth and Reconciliation Day – here.
- Watch:
- “Namwayut: We Are All One” a CBC Video on Truth and Reconciliation, narrated by Chief Robert Joseph, a residential school survivor.
- An interview with Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner Murray Sinclair where he describes how Canadians can work toward reconciliation by, among other things, reading the Truth and Reconciliation report and finding a call to action that interests them.
- A number of Indigenous movies and programs on CBC honouring Sept 30.
- The Good Canadian debuts on September 30 on CBC and CBC Gem (8 pm). You can check out the Trailer here.
If you spend the day in nature, learn and acknowledge which First Nation’s unceded land you are hiking or biking or camping on. Consider that the highways and roads you took to get to that park or lake are most likely built on what were Indigenous trails and reflect on what that means.
Again, these are only suggestions. We encourage you to find ways to honour this day of remembrance and reflection that are meaningful to you.
BACI agrees with the words of Murray Sinclair, the former Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, who said that “reconciliation is not an Aboriginal problem, it is a Canadian problem. It involves all of us.” He also stated: “reconciliation is yours to achieve. We owe it to each other to build a Canada based on our shared future, a future of healing and trust.”
