Reconciliation In Action

The journey of Reconciliation is not an easy one.

It’s why a group of people with Reconciliation Saskatoon created ConnectR, a website to help people take the first (and next) steps forward.

The site that launched in November, started as a committee of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who participated in planning sessions, meetings and brainstorming sessions.

“We had Elders and Residential School survivors at each meeting to guide us, teach us, and inform our process,” said Carrie Catherine, one of the committee coordinators.

A set of guiding principles was created to ensure the process was connected to Elders, Survivors and Indigenous communities and ways of knowing, she said.

On the site, people will find calls to action and ideas about things to do to move towards Reconciliation. Users are invited into the circle and to choose a path. Or for people who want to find something specific, the calls to action are organized into themes, so information can be found that appeals to interests and where someone is at on their journey.

“You can become a ConnectR by responding to one of those calls,” said Catherine.

“It’s that simple. It’s about learning and taking action and then repeating that cycle as you grow what you know.”

Throughout the creation of ConnectR, Elders and Survivors emphasized the need to engage youth in Reconciliation. So, the Youth Champion Initiative was born. Six youth and a coordinator are now embarking upon their own journeys of Reconciliation, using the ConnectR site as a tool along the way. They will be sharing their experiences through social media, film and events and reach out to the broader community with their stories.

Learn more and start your own ConnectR journey here.