Ottawa, September 30, 2021
Reconciliation must inform our thinking and our actions
Statement from Massimo Bergamini, chief executive officer of the Canadian Museums Association (CMA) on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
In its landmark 2015 report, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission defined Reconciliation as “a process to establish and maintain a relationship of mutual respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.”
But the Commission also cautioned that Reconciliation required an awareness of the past, an acknowledgement of the harm inflicted, atonement for its causes, and action to promote change.
In defining Reconciliation in this way, the Commission crafted a roadmap to a future inspired by collective and individual accountability.
This is a roadmap to a future that can be more just and brighter for all Canadians – Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike – because all Canadians have a role and an interest in defining, shaping, and making this future a reality.
It is a gift to Canadians: the gift of a way forward in respect and solidarity; the gift of an opportunity to atone and learn from the errors and sins of a colonial past, to take action to mitigate their impacts and ensure they are never repeated.
So defined, the meaning of Reconciliation is as powerful as it is clear.
As trusted guardians and interpreters of the past, Canada’s museums community must embrace Reconciliation and all it entails, however much this challenges established practices and established orders.
Given the intellectual, cultural, social and moral leadership role entrusted to our community, Reconciliation must inform our thinking and our actions today and for however long this journey of learning, healing and transformation will last.
On this historic day, we join millions of Canadians in acknowledging the suffering visited on the children of the residential schools, their families and their communities. We acknowledge the trauma that still colours the contours of so many lives, and we commit to working steadfastly to promote healing and bring about change for a better tomorrow.
Disponible en français.