Truth and Reconciliation Resources
The AGGV has immense gratitude for the collaborations, partnerships, and relationships that have developed with Indigenous community members and organizations over the years. The staff at the Gallery acknowledge the great responsibility that comes with these relationships, to do good work and do well by those who have shared their time and knowledge with us. The weight of that is very humbling and also mobilizing.
The work ahead, for settlers, is to address the systemic barriers and racism that exist in the DNA of arts institutions. The Gallery team is aware of the depth of work and action needed to shift our practices beyond the status quo. The work has started and there is much more to come. It is with openness and a strong desire for change that the AGGV aims to seek out other ways of doing that serve, with deep respect, the many communities in this region. Moving forward together, the Gallery will work to create space for open dialogue and healing.
Residential School History
Records and stories of Indian Residential Schools in BC
Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Assembly of First Nations It’s Our Time Toolkit
Interactive Map
Active History
Scroll down for more learning.
We also have the following list of resources that AGGV staff have found helpful in their learning so be sure to add these to your reading list:
- UNDRIP: https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples.html
- Canadian Museums Association, Moved to Action: Activating UNDRIP in Canadian Museums: https://www.museums.ca/site/movedtoaction
- Songhees Wellness Centre: https://www.songheesnation.ca/community/songhees-wellness-centre
- The Signs of Lək̓ʷəŋən: https://www.songheesnation.ca/community/l-k-ng-n-traditional-territory
- About the Esquimalt Nation: https://www.esquimaltnation.ca/our-nation
- How to say SENĆOŦEN the language of the W̱SÁNEĆ people, TicTok by Tiffany Joseph: https://www.tiktok.com/@swxeloselwet/video/6951473287868321029?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
- Celebrating Indigenous Peoples in Canada: Learning and activity guide: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1528210353182/1580759773150
- Interactive map resources by Native Land to support learning about Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages: https://native-land.ca/
- Find out where you can purchase your orange shirt: https://victoriaorangeshirtday.com/
- To help support museums, galleries, and cultural organizations in taking action to support truth and reconciliation on Sept 30, the BCMA has published a resource guide for institutions: https://museum.bc.ca/national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation/
- Resources for settlers from WSANEC leadership council https://wsanec.com/learn-settlers/
- Decolonizing the Museum? Chris Creighton-Kelly & France Trépanier from Primary Colours: https://museum.bc.ca/brain/decolonizing-the-museum-with-chris-creighton-kelly-france-trepanier-from-primary-colours/
- Gesturing towards decolonial futures: https://decolonialfutures.net/
- AGGV Teacher Resource Guide: Powerful Pictures: Representation and Storytelling featuring artists: Sonny Assu, Terrance Houle, Meryl McMaster and Marianne Nicolson: https://aggv.ca/learn/teacher-resource-guides/
- Tk’emlúps Nation has shared a video teaching people how to sing and drum its honour song: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tk-emlups-sharing-song-1.6180478
- Imaginary Spaces of Conciliation and Reconciliation by David Garneau: https://inhabitinginheritance.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/pages-from-west-coast-line-74-1.pdf
- The 2003 CBC Massey Lectures, The Truth about Stories: A Native Narrative: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/the-2003-cbc-massey-lectures-the-truth-about-stories-a-native-narrative-1.2946870
- Indigenous Canada Free self-directed online course from the U of A: https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html
- Decolonizing curatorial practice: acknowledging Indigenous curatorial praxis, mapping its agency, recognizing it’s aesthetic within contemporary Canadian art: https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0303135
