The sixth annual Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement Week was packed with 35 different opportunities to learn and engage in Truth and Reconciliation education and over 200 members of the College community participated across all campuses.

This year, ‘Community Engagement’ was added to Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement Week to reflect the goals of the sessions to evoke participation with the College community and to recognize the leadership of the Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement department at RRC Polytech.

Special thanks to our guest presenters Ivana Yellowback, Shirley Delorms-Russel, Dr. Kathy Absolon, Dr. Karine Duhamel, Sandra Bender, Wilfred Buck, Misty Bear, Lorraine McLeod, Karen Ashbury, Lynn Jones, Gerri-Lee Pangman (McPherson), Jennine Krauchi, Gayle Grubin, and The Bannock Babes for offering various sessions that helped create deeper connections and understanding for the College as a community.

A huge thank you to all the members of the College community that organized and carried out sessions – together, we held the largest and most comprehensive Truth and Reconciliation and Community Engagement Week to date.

And of course, thank you to all who volunteered and participated – your continued support in Truth and Reconciliation is an incredible reflection of our institutional values and an important reminder that we are all on this journey together.

While the intent of the sessions and workshops is to provide learning opportunities and chances to engage with different perspectives, we understand that people have different responses to and interpretations of the content. Some sessions may have elicited strong emotions and we encourage everyone to continue to take good care of yourselves, check in with each other, and reach out for support if needed.

Resources are always available, and we encourage accessing them whenever the need may arise. Students may access Counselling Services through the online intake, and employees may access Homewood Health counselling as part of the employee benefit package and free of charge.

As we know, Truth and Reconciliation is a year-round commitment, so we invite members of the College community to keep an eye on Staff News for upcoming opportunities like the Truth and Reconciliation Community of Practice and Student News for workshop sessions with Navigation Coaches to apply for the Mínwastánikéwin Award.