Indigenous Resistance, Resilience and Resurgence: The Role of Activism

Beginning with its founding, Canada has sought to eliminate Indigenous forms of governance, rights and Treaties. Scholarship on the Indian Act, statements made in parliament and the architecture of Canada’s residential school system outlined in Facing History & Ourselves’ Stolen Lives: the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Indian Residential Schools all document Canada’s acts to eliminate Indigenous peoples as distinct legal, social, cultural, linguistic and religious entities in Canada through this process of assimilation.   Throughout this time, Indigenous People resisted these injustices and incursions to inherent rights.  Where the Stolen Lives resource book introduces forms of resistance during residential schooling, this workshop seeks to extend the learning and timeline of resistance into the present day.

Learning about Indigenous activism, resistance, resilience and resurgence are critical for understanding what matters to Indigenous Peoples and how Canadians can participate in promoting truth, justice and reconciliation.  This “choosing to participate” is a vital step to Facing History and Ourselves’ scope and sequence of learning.  Through this workshop, participants will be introduced to contemporary voices, actions and opportunities that can guide and inspire students to engage as active participants in a just democracy.  

In this full-day in-person workshop, we will explore:

• How Indigenous peoples can be / are seen and heard and ultimately, understood through art, spoken word, storytelling, food and more
• Creation stories as guides for Indigenous cultural-linguistic resurgence and activism
• Indigenous peoples’ participation in activism and non-Indigenous peoples’ participation as allies
• Tkaronto’s sites of Indigenous life, work and voices with the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto
• Works and teaching by spoken word artist Kahsenniyo Kick from Six Nations of the Grand River

We will look at some of the efforts Indigenous people have made to raise awareness through art and voice, expressing acts of resistance, resilience and telling a story of who they are, where they’ve come from but most importantly where they are going!

Lunch will be provided and catered by David Jacobs, Six Nations of the Grand chef

This event will be hosted in-person at the OCAD Onsite Gallery.
Address: 199 Richmond Street West, Ground Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0H4, Canada