The turtle sculpture where sacred fires are lit in front of the NCTR.
NCTR and Canada’s History Society hold Indigenous histories forum
Canada’s top historians, educators and community leaders will gather in Ottawa on Nov. 27 to focus on engaging Canadians in the histories of Indigenous peoples.
The 9th Canada’s History Forum, Engaging Authentic Indigenous Histories, is organized by Canada’s History Society and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR).
“Canada’s history is complex,” said Ry Moran, director of NCTR. “For far too long we as a country have not appropriately explored Indigenous perspectives on Canada’s development. It is essential we face our country’s history head on, understanding both the good and the bad, in order to authentically move forward with reconciliation.”
The annual event is held in conjunction with the Governor General’s History Awards and brings together award-winning historians, educators, writers and heritage professionals to explore themes, issues, and opportunities in the study of Canada’s history.
“The story of First Peoples in Canada has not always been told accurately, completely, or from the perspective of Indigenous people,” says Janet Walker, president and CEO of Canada’s History Society. “As we approach the sesquicentennial of Confederation, it seems the ideal time to more fully explore the evolution of the relationship between original peoples and those who later made this country their home.”
Participants include Moran; Karine Duhamel, a Researcher-Curator for Indigenous Content at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights; Jonathan Lainey, curator for First Peoples content at the Canadian Museum of History; Maureen Lux, professor of History at Brock University; and Sarah Nickel, a Tk’emlupsemc (Kamloops Secwepemc) Assistant Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Saskatchewan.
Also in attendance will be Charlene Bearhead, the Education Lead for the NCTR; Cathleen Anne Tenning, a 2008 recipient of the Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching; Lisa Howell, a teacher and activist from unceded Algonquin territory in Ottawa; Gail Stromquist of Nlaka’pamux ancestry, is the coordinator for Aboriginal education with the BC Teachers’ Federation; and Baudouin Lalo, from the village of Unamen Shipu in the La Romaine region of Quebec.
The Forum will take place at the Canadian War Museum on Sunday, November 27 from 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm. The event is free to the public and guests are invited to register to attend in-person or online at CanadasHistory.ca/HistoryForum. Students of media production, history and education in the Ottawa area are particularly encouraged to attend.