In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, the Outreach Committee is offering this course facilitated by Okanagan Indian Band elders.
Dates: Saturday, September 9 & 23, October 14 & 28, 2017
Times: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Facilitators:
- Eric Mitchell (Okanagan Indian Band Elder, Okanagan/Sylix knowledge keeper, Cultural competency facilitator for School District #22 staff and UBCO School of Nursing students, residential school survivor)
- Christina Marchand (Okanagan Indian Band Elder, Cultural Competency Facilitator for School District #22 and UBCO School of Nursing students)
Format:
- Four 5-hour sessions
- Sessions 1 to 3 will be held at Trinity United Church, Vernon, B.C.
- Session 4 will be held on the Okanagan Indian Band Reserve
- Maximum 20 participants.
Curriculum:
- Session 1 – Introduction to the Okanagan/Syilx People
- Session 2 – The Effects of Colonization
- Session 3 – Canada’s Hidden Genocide/Our Strength and Resilience
- Session 4 – Community Engagement Day
Will include meeting Okanagan Indian Band Elders at their Gathering Place for sharing and stories, lunch, viewing of Okanagan Winter House (a Kekuli) and wrap up.
What Participants can expect:
- Course costs covered by BC Conference ProVision grant, the Outreach Committee and Trinity United Church
- Lunches provided at all sessions
- You must attend all four sessions
- You will model and pass on knowledge gained to others in the congregation and your community.
For more information and/or to register
Joanna Rainer: Phone: 250-558-0719 Email: j.rainer@shaw.ca or
Karine Poznanski: Email: karinepoz@gmail.com. Phone: 250-549-2983
Further Resources:
- The Children Remembered. A United Church of Canada Archive Project about the history of our church’s Indian Residential Schools.
http://thechildrenremembered.ca - Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
- The United Church of Canada’s Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action.
http://www.united-church.ca/sites/default/files/ucc-response-trc-calls.pdf - United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf - Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Residential_Schools_Settlement_Agreement
A definition of “Cultural Competency”
Cultural competency is the ability to understand, communicate with and effectively interact with people across cultures. It encompasses:
- Being aware of one’s own world view
- Developing positive attitudes towards cultural differences
- Gaining knowledge of different cultural practices and world views
- Developing skills for communication and interaction across cultures
- The ability to identify and challenge one’s own cultural assumptions, values and beliefs and to make a commitment to working towards equality in opportunity.