Sheridan College
Sheridan hosted The Debwewin Workshop: Launch of Grateful Treaty Person and Acts of Allyship campaign at its Trafalgar Road Campus on Nov. 7 as part of Treaties Recognition Week.
The event aligns with Debwewin: The Oakville Truth Project, which is a joint initiative of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) and the Oakville Community Foundation, aimed at furthering a shared understanding of Oakville’s Indigenous past and supporting local Truth and Reconciliation.
MCFN Gimaa (Chief) R. Stacey Laforme’s Ally Leadership Council – made up of local Truth and Reconciliation champions who support Debwewin – is leading the community-based campaign, which encourages individuals and organizations to engage in actions to propel reconciliation forward across the community.
The public is invited to share their acts of allyship and engage on social media using #ActsofAllyship to commit, learn, plan, do and share their work related to Truth and Reconciliation.
"Governments won’t fix racism or enable true reconciliation. It has to be the people of Canada who do the work and make it happen. I think that community to community, people to people, is the way to go," said MCFN Elder Peter Schuler and Debwewin Advisory Council Lead. "When we all work together, we can become the lake of change. We can each become a raindrop of change, and we can form that lake."
The Acts of Allyship campaign began on Nov. 7 and will conclude on Feb. 28 — the anniversary of local Treaty 22. To embark on their acts of Allyship, Oakville residents are encouraged to sign the online Declaration of Truth & Allyship and download the Grateful Treaty Person Toolkit.
Sheridan has officially signed the Declaration of Truth & Allyship and, as a signatory, has committed to actioning ongoing Acts of Allyship and meaningful work to advance Truth and Reconciliation.
"We welcome the opportunity to reimagine our treaty relationship with the local Treaty Holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and bring community-to-community allyship and reciprocity forward into the present," said Dr. Jane Ngobia, Vice President of Inclusive Communities at Sheridan, and member of Gimaa’s Ally Leadership Council. "We encourage all students, faculty and community members to get involved."
At the launch event, Dr. Karine Duhamel, Director of Indigenous Strategy for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and former Director of Research for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, addressed treaties from an Indigenous perspective and how they are integrated into the Commitment to Truth and Allyship.
She explained: "Treaties at their heart are about relationships. They are often thought of in terms of contracts when they are, in fact, fundamental to community, safety, and overall well-being. They are a set of principles for being well together."
Gimaa Laforme also announced a poetry contest, inviting postsecondary students to share, in their own words, what allyship or friendship feels and looks like to them. All Sheridan College, Oakville, and MCFN postsecondary students can submit poetry, spoken word, rap or song.
He inspired attendees with a reading of his allyship poem, which included the lines: "Allyship is not an end, it is a beginning, an understanding that must welcome all. A voice for the future, for our people, for our children, for our planet."
