I am writing this blog post following taking in some seminars for our indigenous day of learning for 2021. I had the privilege of listening to a few speakers but I would like to highlight our keynote speaker; Ashley Callingbull, and another speaker Dr. Dustin Louie

First of all, Ashley Callingbull is an amazing force of a woman, I could really listen to her all day. As she told us her life story and how she became the woman she is today I was really inspired by her. She told us of her times of struggle and moments of happiness and success. As she did this I started to feel like I knew her. This reminded me of the power that story has. I have to be honest I did not know this woman’s name before our seminar, which I am not sure how I must be living under a rock. Even though I was unfamiliar with this person and who she was, through story, we were able to find meaning and understanding of not only who she was but the systemic struggles she had to overcome and break through to become who she is today. I remember feeling really proud of her, even though I am not mainly an indigenous person. I myself am I predominately white person with some metis roots that I can trace through lineage but the culture has trickled away. The point in this being is that even though her and I are different and I have not had to face the same barriers she has had, I can still support and connect with her story even if I do not personally identify with it. I think as a non-indigenous person this is a big piece of the reconciliation puzzle. I argue this because when it comes to talks of reconciliation in mainstream media a lot of times non-indigenous people have stated that they feel guilt or are made to feel guilty for the history they had no action in. But, what people are missing is that that is not the point of reconciliation. Dr.Dustin Louis put it really well when he’s said “reconciliation is not about more apologies, it is about building a relationship of mutual respect”. So, what I have taken from these two speakers is that reconciliation is about respect and space. when I say space I mean allowing others to voice their stories, their needs, their culture and so on. Overall, I am thankful that I was able to take in these two speakers and I will take what I have learned from them and carry it with me in my life and practice.