This month, we have lots of events to help you continue on your learning journey and move reconciliation forward in your communities. Read on to learn more about our upcoming events, the next grant application deadline for The Blanket Fund, new toolkits for educators and youth group leaders, and more. September is an important month for reconciliation in Canada, but it doesn’t stop there. Stay tuned for more ways to take #ReconciliACTION this Secret Path Week (October 17-22) and beyond.
This year, DWF is hosting its first-ever Truth and Reconciliation Week. Watch two special virtual events to help you move reconciliation forward in your homes, classrooms, workplaces, and communities. These events are free and open to all.
Monday, September 25, 2023 | 11:00 AM PT | 12:00 PM MT | 1:00 PM CT | 2:00 PM ET | 3:00 PM AT | 3:30 PM NT
Join us as we hear from educators, early childhood caregivers, parents, youth, and Artist Ambassador Isaac Murdoch as they share how they tackle the hard truths in teaching young learners about residential schools.
| REGISTER NOW |
Monday, October 2, 2023 | 11:00 AM PT | 12:00 PM MT | 1:00 PM CT | 2:00 PM ET | 3:00 PM AT | 3:30 PM NT
Join us to listen to the stories and reflections from three generations within a family impacted by the residential school era. This panel will address challenging topics and is recommended for older audiences (secondary school age and up).
| REGISTER NOW |
September 30, 2023 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Local Time
Once again, in partnership with Orbyt Media and nearly 500 radio stations from coast to coast to coast, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund presents A DAY TO LISTEN.
| LEARN MORE ABOUT A DAY TO LISTEN 2023 |
Register for the LIVE Webinar: Creating your own Land Acknowledgement
September 20
What is a land acknowledgement? Why do we say them? Who should say them? Why are there different perspectives on land acknowledgement among Indigenous people?
If you’ve ever thought about these or other questions about land acknowledgements, join our free, live webinar: Creating your own Land Acknowledgement on September 20.
| REGISTER HERE |
Apply for the Reconciliation Action Grant
Reconciliation Action Grant applications are open! The deadline to be considered for the next round of funding is fast approaching. Apply by September 15, 2023 to be considered.
Need some time to create the perfect application? Don’t worry! The Reconciliation Action Grant is offered quarterly. Keep an eye out for the September 16 to December 15, 2023 application window.
| APPLY NOW |
On September 30, 2022, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund launched Oshki Wupoowane | The Blanket Fund, in partnership with the Hudson Bay Foundation. Utilizing 100% of net proceeds from the sale of HBC Point Blankets, The Blanket Fund was established with the vision of fostering understanding and collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Learn more about Oshki Wupoowane | The Blanket Fund.
Watson Road Elementary students watching The Secret Path animated film.
Watson Road Elementary, BC took part in their very first Walk for Wenjack. Students created purple shoe prints for Chanie which were displayed throughout the school. They were also joined by a local Elder, Maureen, who shared their experience as a Survivor of residential school. They ended their day with bannock and reflection sheets for all staff and students to complete.
2023-24 booster kits are on their way to Legacy Schools program leads!
DWF welcomes the fall with new ideas to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into classrooms, corporate boardrooms, spaces, and clubs! This year’s updated materials include sections in the ReconciliACTION Guidebook on identity and allyship, magnets, a notebook and an updated calendar highlighting Indigenous days of significance along with inquiry questions. Legacy Schools will receive Buffy Sainte-Marie’s book, Still This Love Goes On while Legacy Spaces can look forward to Waubgeshig Rice’s best-selling novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow.
| DIGITAL LEGACY SCHOOLS TOOLKIT |
We are always accepting new Educators and Youth Group Leaders to help move reconciliation forward in classrooms and clubs. Invite your friends and colleagues to register now to receive their FREE toolkit.
If you are an educator and need to update your information you can do so here!
| LEARN MORE ABOUT LEGACY SCHOOLS |
Chanie Wenjack’s sister, Pearl Achneepineskum, speaks at the launch event for the Legacy Space inside St. Lawrence College in Kingston, ON.
In August, St. Lawrence College became the first post-secondary institution in Ontario to launch a Legacy Space. Located inside the main entrance of their Kingston campus, the Legacy Space is the first to be created in Gord Downie’s hometown and will soon be followed by the first in the cities of Brockville and Cornwall as St. Lawrence opens one on each campus. Educators within the college are also registered with the Legacy Schools program and help us further develop our resources for post-secondary students. We were so grateful to be joined by members of the Wenjack and Downie families for this important event.
The Legacy Spaces will be three unique learning areas for students, employees, and campus guests, according to Glenn Vollebregt, SLC President and CEO. “This is an exciting day for SLC as we move forward on our commitment to Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being, honouring history, and contributing to a positive future for Indigenous learners and communities,” Vollebregt said. “The opening of this first Legacy Space will foster a culture of belonging for Indigenous employees who have been underrepresented, providing opportunities to connect with their own history and culture. For non-Indigenous employees and students, the spaces will create opportunities for growth through personal learning journeys and professional development.”
We are proud to announce that our partners at Canadian Tire Corporation are taking reconciliACTION by creating a second Legacy Space inside their Calgary office in 2024!
Global University Systems will be creating a Legacy Space at the Mirvish Campus of Niagara College in Toronto, which is also a Legacy School!
RBC has created a unique Legacy Space inside their head office space for employees, clients, and partners to come together in a thoughtful and immersive experience. Through the recent contemporary redesign of the 40th floor at RBC Plaza, there was an opportunity to incorporate elements of Indigenous cultures and share the importance of legacy. Learn more about RBC’s Legacy Space and their commitment to reconciliation on this page.
| LEARN MORE ABOUT LEGACY SPACES |
Inspired by Chanie’s story and Gord’s call to build a better Canada, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Our goal is to improve the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all peoples in Canada.
Phone: 1-844-944-4545
E-mail: staff@downiewenjack.ca
Address:
PO BOX 749
OHSWEKEN, ON
N0A1M0
