Editorially speaking...
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has received official recognition as a federal statutory holiday. (RiMa Photography/Adobe Stock) —www.talentcanada.ca/workplace-approach-to-sept-30-holiday
Believe it or not, words don’t always come easily to me. In fact, there are times and occasions when words fail me altogether.
Then there’s my having to refrain from venting my spleen online—more of a challenge, sometimes, than you might think. Make no mistake: my goal with the Chronicles isn’t just to entertain you but to inform you. Anything less, in my mind, would not just be total failure but would invalidate everything I believe in and have worked for over most of a lifetime.
But there’s that fine line between informing readers by entertaining them, and using the Chronicles as a pulpit. I know, I’ve long joked that, as a writer/historian, I’m part teacher and part preacher.
But there are limits!
All of which is to say that I must exercise constraint in these so-called ‘editorials,’ which I also use as a grab bag for historical nuggets that just don’t fit otherwise, or risk turning readers off.
So what brings me to lay this heavy burden before you?
Reconciliation Day, the first of which coincides with today’s Chronicles.
Make no mistake: I’m not arguing against Reconciliation in any way, shape or form. But I have a real problem with the government having made it a holiday with pay for already privileged civil servants.
Yes, my cynicism is showing when I ask how many federal and provincial employees who will have today off will treat it as anything more than a perk.
Let’s look at Remembrance Day for a moment.
I can remember a teacher once remarking in class, with obvious regret in his voice, that he remembered when Remembrance Day was two minutes of silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Everything came to a stop, he said, even most traffic other than trains and aircraft. For two minutes. He said he thought that had far more meaning and impact than “a holiday”.
Well, I was a kid. I remember my reaction as being, “Two minutes?! versus a day home from school? No way!”
But I’ve grown up since then and I’ve come to believe that Remembrance Day is the most important statutory ‘holiday’ of them all. I still remember being offended when K-Mart (remember K-Mart?) advertised a Remembrance Day Sale.
Fast-forward to the present.
Remembrance Day has morphed into a true day of remembrance that honours our fallen of two world wars, Korea and peacekeeping missions. Every year (excepting 2020 because of COVID) the crowd at the Duncan Cenotaph gets bigger and bigger and there are more young people and kids than I can remember of years past.
Radio, television and newspapers cover the Remembrance Day events; for two weeks leading up to Remembrance Day, many wear poppies.
So my question is, does this validate it as a ‘holiday’ over Mr. Forster’s lamented two minutes of silence? I’ve come to believe that it does.
Which brings us back to Reconciliation Day. My first reaction upon hearing that it was formalized as ‘a holiday’ offended me. My cynicism again kicked in: a day off with pay for the already privileged. How many of them will give so much as a thought, let alone real reflection, to the point of the exercise, our recognition of and coming to terms with our colonial past and the sins of our fathers? Of the many harms we’ve inflicted upon our First Nations peoples and how do we do better in the future?
I guess I can only hope that Reconciliation Day, like Remembrance Day, can mature over time into a true day of reflection of its intent and its ongoing significance to our society and not just a day off for those lucky enough to qualify.
As some idealistically view Reconciliation Day, these words from Talent Canada, a website devoted to “driving business through investment in people”:
“This year’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not just a holiday, but an opportunity, according to Lily Chang, secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress in Ottawa.
“’As the first year with this day being recognized by the federal government, I certainly hope that many employers will take the time to truly provide opportunity and take leadership with their employees in honouring this particular day.’”
“Honouring this day, especially to the level demanded by the gravity of current conversations surrounding Indigenous rights, means providing employees with the proper space and resources to educate themselves on the history and implications of Indigenous treatment across history, workplaces, and the country itself, she said.
“’We need to have some education so the types of actions that have to happen can be done in a manner that is meaningful and impactful,’” said Chang.”
Employers “should be responsible for providing these opportunities and resources, whether that be through letting employees attend events, putting out statements, or just giving the time to recognize this day — even if doesn’t mean a day off.”
An orange shirt has become Reconciliation Day’s poppy; that I can agree with wholeheartedly.
Uvic’s first associate university librarian Ry Moran hopes that people will use the day to further their understanding of “the history, experiences, hopes, dreams, aspirations of Indigenous peoples” by reading the reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry Into Missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and other reports on racism in the Indigenous health care system.
“It is not a holiday,” he declared. “And if you ever doubt what your action should be on this day, just put yourself into the shoes of a parent or an uncle or grandparent or an auntie that had their child removed, and think about what you would hope other people would do for you.”
Chronicles readers may wish to check out these sites as offered in Wednesday’s Times Colonist:
● wsanec.com/learn-settlers
● National Truth and Reconciliation nctr.ca/records/reports
● Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at UBC irshdc.ubc.ca
Here’s hoping that most Canadians care enough to make the effort.
That’s enough for this week—TW.
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