2017 marked the 150th birthday of the country we call Canada here on Turtle Island. In light of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report and the discrimination and racism that the Indigenous women, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people we support face every day, there was no cause for celebration. Instead, there was a need to commit and dedicate resources to reconciliation meaningfully.
From then on, July was declared Reconciliation Month at WCWRC.
Throughout July, our social media accounts will highlight Indigenous matriarchs, two-spirted and gender diverse peoples who are leaders from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Canada. All of them are currently fighting to protect Indigenous lives, culture, and human rights.
We aim to honour their work and raise awareness of the uphill battle they face in combatting challenges, such as missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people, the impact of residential schools, and the ongoing oppression of Indigenous people through systems like the child welfare system and the justice system.
We hope you join us on this journey and reflect on what you can be doing as well. Please follow #ReconciliationMonth on our social media channels for all the latest news and information. We’ve also compiled a list of resources for you to utilize and take part in during this month with us.
Must-See Documentaries & Films
- Inendi – Directed by Sarain Fox
- Niish Manidoowag (Two-Spirited Beings) – Directed by Debbie S. Mishibinijima
- nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up – Directed by Tasha Hubbard
- Deb-we-win Ge-ken-am-aan, Our Place in the Circle – Directed by Lorne Olson
- Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger – Directed by Alanis Obomsawin
- Becoming Nakuset – Directed by Victoria Anderson-Gardner
- Mashkawi-Manidoo Bimaadiziwin Spirit to Soar – Directed by Talaga and Michelle Derosier
- Nahanni: River of Forgiveness – Directed by Geoff Bowie
- Two Spirits – Directed by Fred Martinez
- Angry Inuk – Directed by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
- Birth of a Family – Directed by Tasha Hubbard
Artists to Listen To
- Buffalo Girls: comprised of Cris Derksen, a Cree Juno-nominated cellist and composer, her wife Rebecca Benson on vocals and Jesse Baird on the drums.
- Melody McKiver (they/them) two spirit arist. Melody McKiver combines traditional Anishinaabe dance and classical viola to create experimental music.
- Aria Evans (they/them). Evans is an Afro-Indigenous artist and a force in Toronto’s contemporary dance world, and an advocate for BIPOC representation in the world of dance and theatre.
- Jeremy Dutcher (he/him); Singer, songwriter, performer, activist and pianist heartthrob, Dutcher is a member of the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick, winner of the 2018 Polaris Music Prize.
- Ms.PAN!K: Singer, songwriter, sound creator, storyteller & artist. Using experimental loop-pedal-driven soundscapes, indie Indigenous soul, and soul full acoustic
- Nataanii Means: an Oglala Sioux and Navajo hip-hop artist and son of prominent American Indian activist Russell Means
- Fawn Wood: Cree/Salish songstress, Fawn Wood, weaves songs of longing, hope and the joys of life that uplift the soul and heal the heart
- DJ Kookum; Cheyanna Kootenhayoo is a Dene/Cree Filmmaker and DJ. She is a member of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, originally from Cold Lake First Nations and is based out of Vancouver, BC.
Podcasts to Listen To
- Matriarch Movement by Shayla Stonechild
- Two Crees in a Pod by Amber Dion & Terri Cardinal
- All My Relations by Matika Wilbur, Desi Small-Rodriguez & Adrienne Keene
- Book Women Podcast by masinahikan iskwêwak
- Coffee & Quaq by Alice Q. Glenn
- Métis in Space by Mollv Swain and Chelsea Vowel
Books to Read
- Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga
- Five Little Indians by Michelle Good
- Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
- The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
- My heart fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith
- Indigenous Writes by Chelsea Vowel
- The Knowledge Seeker by Blair A. Stonechil
- Creating Space: My Life & Work in Indigenous Education by Verna J. Kirkness
- 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- The Break by Katherena Vermette
- Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
- The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
- Research as Ceremony by Shawn Wilson
- Life in the City of Dirty Water: A Memoir of Healing by Clayton Thomas-Muller