A day to mourn, a day to learn

Today is the second annual National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. How are you marking the day?

I put on my orange shirt and intended to go downtown and seek out some of the events planned by different groups, but changed my mind when I realized that there are a few time-sensitive things at home that I can't put off. I was feeling a bit guilty about that until I heard a piece on the radio about some young Indigenous artists and how they were planning to spend today.

One said that she was going to stay home and spend it in quiet mourning for all the wrongs done to her people, and to work on projects that connect her to her culture. "It's not a day of celebration for me," she said. "It's a day to remember."

Hearing that, I thought that perhaps it might be better to have a quiet day as I go about my tasks, listening to music by Indigenous artists, thinking about my friends who are from various First Nations communities, praying for healing for all who are hurting as memories surface today. And perhaps later I'll reread the 95 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which can be found here, and look for a good book to read so I can learn more about the work settlers like me need to do toward making amends for our colonial past. If you have any books to recommend, please leave a comment below...

How are you marking today?

I leave you with a powerful music video by Digging Roots called The Healer, and pray their refrain, no more, no more struggling, no more, no more suffering, can become our mantra as we find ways to live in Truth and Reconciliation as people of Turtle Island...