On this National Day of Truth and Reconciliation we invite you to reflect, educate yourself, and celebrate Indigenous storytellers.
Reflect on the history and legacy of Residential Schools.
Visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), which “was charged to listen to Survivors, their families, communities and others affected by the residential school system and educate Canadians about their experiences. The resulting collection of statements, documents and other materials now forms the sacred heart of the NCTR.” There you can access their archives, visit virtual exhibits, and access educational resources.
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.
Educate yourself by completing the Shine Network Institute’s and the National Screen Institute’s PACT certified online course and sharing 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, PACT (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.
Celebrate Indigenous storytellers by watching and sharing some great content!
Now in its 24th edition, the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival (the largest of its kind in the world, will be taking) place in Toronto from October 17-22 and online from October 23-29. The festival celebrates Indigenous storytellers from Canada and around the world. During the festival run we will be spotlighting ACTRA Toronto productions in the festival on our social media channels, including iN originals. iN originals provides opportunities for emerging Indigenous filmmakers to make an original short film and is supported in part by ACTRA Toronto.
You can check out the films and festival schedule 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. Learn more about the Survivors’ Flag, including its origins and significance, by visiting nctr.ca.
