Tag: Truth and Reconciliation
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Coming Back to Where It Began: Orange Shirt Day in Winnipeg, 2026
This September 30, I am back in Winnipeg, the city where my life in Canada began in 2004. I came here as a student, and Winnipeg gave me my first Canadian home, my first Canadian classrooms, and my Canadian family. I lived here for ten years. Then came Halifax, in Mi’kma’ki, and for the past…
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We stand with Tk’emlĂșps te SecwĂ©pemc
On Sunday morning, September 27, a group of about 30 masked men arrived on Tk’emlĂșps te SecwĂ©pemc land, days before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. They came to frighten people. They hid their faces because they know this community, and this city, do not accept them. To the survivors, families and people of…
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Coming Home: A Story of Truth, Reconciliation, and Twenty Years of Building Community
Zoom call at 3:00 a.m. Winnipeg time. In most homes, this would be an unwelcome intrusion, but on this morningâSeptember 30th, Truth and Reconciliation Dayâit felt like a sacred calling. A laptop screen glow in the pre-dawn darkness, connecting Winnipeg to Lviv, sister cities bound by history, hope, and the determined belief that truth matters.…
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Arriving in Salzburg: A First Attempt at Land Acknowledgement
Posted from the trolleybus, traveling through Mirabell Platz and City Center to my Airbnb Yesterday I arrived in Salzburg, Austria, and as I settled into the rhythm of this beautiful city, I found myself reflecting on a practice I’ve learned from Indigenous communities in North America – the importance of acknowledging the land where we…
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Witnessing the Power of Indigenous Pedagogy in Action
What an amazing experience I was able to witness thanks to Dr. Mukwa Musayett, as her “Privileging Indigenous Oral Traditions and Storywork in International Indigenous Research” class ended at 5:20, just before my “Educating for Social Change” class started at 5:30 every Monday and Wednesday in May-June, 2025 It was such a meaningful connection to…
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Personal Reflections on Orange Shirt Day and Global Truth and Reconciliation
As I sit down to write about Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation after visiting Mt. Rainier National Park in the US, I’m struck by how much this commemoration has grown and evolved, not just in Canada but in my own understanding and approach to it. When I first wrote…
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đ Reflecting on Indigenous Peoples Day at Parc des Rapides, Montreal đ
Today, June 21st, is Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada – a day to recognize and celebrate the cultures, contributions, and resilience of First Nations, Inuit and MĂ©tis peoples. It’s also the summer solstice, holding deep spiritual significance for many Indigenous cultures. Before leaving Montreal, I had the privilege of visiting Parc des Rapides with Marsha’s…
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Controlling Movement, Restricting Rights: Comparing Canada’s Indigenous Pass System and USSR Passport Regime
Dr. Oleksandr (Sasha) Kondrashov Draft Statement This comparative analysis should be considered a draft document intended to promote further discussion. Additional perspectives and insights, particularly from directly impacted communities in both Canada and Ukraine, need to be incorporated to fully capture the complex lived experiences and collective traumas stemming from the oppressive passport and pass…
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2022 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Events, Educational and Business Resources
This event took place on September 30, 2022. Last year I started the collection of events and educational resources on National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Events and Educational Resources   Here is the updated list from Schools of Social Work on how to learn on September 30, 2022. Thank…
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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Events and Educational ResourcesâŻ
The events listed here took place from September 27, 2021 to October 1, 2021. Thank you to all who shared the events and educational resources on National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. I will keep adding more resources to share with my students, so please feel free to e-mail okondrashov@tru.ca to add new events and…
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Nikoly Znovu/ Never Again: Remains of 215 children outside of Residential School in Kamloops, BC Canada
This event took place on June 3, 2021. Oleksandr (Sasha) Kondrashov Last week my thoughts, prayers, emotions and actions were centered on the new knowledge the world learnt about a mass grave in Kamloops Indian Residential School. On May 27, 2021, TkâemlĂșps te SecwĂ©pemc issued press-release to inform the world that a ground penetrating radar…
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Orange Shirt, Faith, Hope, Love, Wisdom and More about September 30 Day
Oleksandr (Sasha) Kondrashov, PhD In Canada, September 30 is associated with the Orange Shirt Day when communities are coming together in a reconciliation and hope spirit because of every child matters. The day is recognizing the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and well-being. It is an affirmation of our…