NATIONAL TRUTH & RECONCILIATION DAY IN CANADA

September 30, 2021 | The Canadian Arctic

NATIONAL TRUTH & RECONCILIATION DAY IN CANADA

September 30th 2021 marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

Over the past three decades, our family and team have been privileged to work across the Arctic - circumpolar. We’ve spent more than 30 years in northern Canada, in different communities and living with Inuit families on the land.

The recent developments in Canada surrounding Residential schools have provoked a period of reflection and mourning with our team and partners across Canada.

The discovery of thousands of unmarked graves of indigenous children this past spring, the re-awakening of traumatic experiences felt by indigenous groups and sheer tragedy have left many of us heartbroken. Reconciliation is a multi-step approach. It is not only one of understanding of the past - the racism, systemic brutality endured, the unheard voices stolen from their culture and land but also looking forward. Forward to a today where sustainable development and partnerships across the Arctic are a building block to a better tomorrow.

We operate, live and thrive in Nunavut (In Inuktitut this means "Our Land”). Nunavut is the Canadian Arctic territory of the Inuit that came into creation in 1999. As visitors, stakeholders and partners in this territory, we try to be conscious that we are privileged to be in the Nunavummiut homeland. This is a perspective we honour and try to educate our guests - be it through the incredible landscapes, peoples, history or wildlife of the region.

We would like to take a moment to thank our Inuit stakeholders as we continue to work on building relationships that better understand the past and the needs of the future while increasing our sensitivities towards this dark period bygone and the continued multi-generational impacts that linger. Meaningful steps towards inclusivity and reconciliation in Canada is an ongoing journey and one that requires accountability, intention and collaboration.

For three generations, we have been committed to this journey, and will continue to do so for many years to come.

Learn more at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website: https://nctr.ca/