Ktunaxa leaders speak about Truth and Reconciliation Day

Ktunaxa leaders speak about Truth and Reconciliation Day

How to take action this Truth and Reconciliation Day

• Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

• Participate in local Truth and Reconciliation events in your community.

• Reflect on one action you can take in your daily life to move reconciliation forward.

On September 15, three Ktunaxa leaders sat down with James Farnan from Rogers TV to share their reflections ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Each spoke to the meaning of the day, the 94 Calls to Action, and the responsibilities that all Canadians hold in moving reconciliation forward.

The Ktunaxa Nation Council thanks Rogers TV for creating space for these conversations.

We will post the link to the finalized YouTube video when it is available.

Here are some highlights:

Truth and the Calls to Action

Heidi Gravelle, Nasuʔkin of ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation
“The 94 Calls to Action were a really good starting point, but without true understanding, accountability, and transparency, they remain words on paper.”

Cheryl Casimer, Nasuʔkin of ʔaq̓am
“Since its inception, only 13 to 14 recommendations have been implemented or are in progress. The remainder are just sitting there.”

Kathryn Teneese, Chair, Ktunaxa Nation Council
“We’re not going to turn the page until we acknowledge that truth and reconciliation came about as a result of very wrong actions in this country.”

Progress and accountability on the Calls to Action

Heidi Gravelle
“Progress has been really slow. Too often actions only happen where it’s comfortable for colonial systems, not where it’s truly needed.”

Cheryl Casimer
“The first five recommendations are specific to children, families, and that’s something that’s near and dear to me. They’ve seen very little progress. Jordan’s Principle still has 44,000 backlog applications in B.C. and so those are 44,000 children who are not receiving the resourcing and the supports that they need just to be able to have a regular day.”

Kathryn Teneese
“If we are going to change the narrative in this country, it can’t be just one or two things. It has to be a huge shift… that truth then grows with them into adulthood.”

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Heidi Gravelle
“It’s a day to honour our ancestors, those who endured, and those who didn’t make it home. But it’s also a day to educate, connect, and move forward together.”

Cheryl Casimer
“Sometimes people don’t know what to do when the buzzword of reconciliation is thrown around. Coming on a walk and showing support helps.”

Kathryn Teneese
“It’s an opportunity to celebrate who we are and the fact that we are still here, despite all efforts to eliminate us.”

Moving forward together

Heidi Gravelle
“We are not ‘stakeholders’—we are decision makers. Free, prior, and informed consent means being at the decision-making table, not on the sidelines.”

“Our natural laws—ʔa·knumuȼtiⱡiⱡ—have guided us since time immemorial. They must be the foundation for how we care for lands, waters, and all living things.”

Cheryl Casimer

“The catchphrase ‘reconciliation’ has lost its attraction for Canada and B.C. They focus elsewhere, but First Nations will continue moving forward—with or without them. It’s always easier to work with people than to try to get around us. We have constitutionally protected rights, and Supreme Court rulings support that. If governments ignore us, they’ll face court cases, protests, blockades—First Nations will not go back.”

Kathryn Teneese
“Look at the Calls to Action, find one thing that resonates with you, and do something differently in your life. Change happens person by person.”

“A lot of times people want Indigenous people frozen in time, but as society is evolving, so are we. We are good neighbors, artists, and businesspeople—acknowledge that.”