My Journey with Truth and Reconciliation

Submitted by Katerina Bardouniotis, French Immersion Learner Support Teacher

I have been taking little steps to educate myself on the history of residential schools and learn what truth and reconciliation means to me as an educator and most importantly, as an individual. These steps include wearing orange on September 29 at school and on September 30 to honour residential school survivors and the children who did not return.  

Other simple actions include watching a documentary and reflecting on how we can do better. I continue to read about Indigenous history and join book clubs where I can learn from others. I am becoming more comfortable with identifying and acknowledging the land I live on and discovering that I can make this acknowledgement my own and not worry about saying the wrong thing, as this is a learning process for me.  

This year, I stepped out of my comfort zone and volunteered to take on the role of Indigenous Lead Contact at my school. I was hesitant at first, as this role is new to me, and I did not think I knew enough about Indigenous history to step in. I’ve realized that this is my learning journey, as it’s not about how much knowledge I have in comparison to others. It’s about any actions I can take, big or small, to do my part in engaging in truth and reconciliation.