National Day of Truth & Reconciliation
Dear ACTRA Toronto members,
On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we invite you to UN-learn, watch, and become an industry ally.
UN-learn the myths of colonial history in Canada
Visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) and join one of its daily Lunch and Learn webinars to UN-learn the myths of colonial history in Canada. Sessions include a Q&A and will have simultaneous English-French and ASL interpretation available. You can learn more about the programming here, including recording of previous sessions.
For those in need of support, the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available 24-hours-a-day at 1-866-925-4419. You can access other support resources here.
Watch films about residential schools in Canada
An important part of reconciliation is to listen and believe the stories about how residential schools have impacted individuals, families, and communities. The NFB has a curated selection of films by Indigenous filmmakers and allies about the impact of residential schools in Canada. We invite you to watch these stories.
Become an industry ally by completing the Shine Network Institute’s and the National Screen Institute’s P.A.C.T. online course and sharing it with others.
Founded by ACTRA Toronto member Jennifer Podemski, “the Shine Network Institute is an Indigenous owned and operated not-for-profit organization offering professional development, advocacy, consulting, and mentorship for Indigenous women in the film, television and media sector.” Launched at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, P.A.C.T. (Pledge – Activate – Cultivate – Thrive) is a first-of-its-kind, 40-minute certified online course designed to prepare non-Indigenous professionals working in the screen industry with the tools, awareness, and resources to work with Indigenous productions and content.
The course is free to take. You can register here.
The Survivors’ Flag is an expression of remembrance, meant to honour residential school Survivors and all the lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada. Each element depicted on the flag was carefully selected by Survivors from across Canada, who were consulted in the flag’s creation.