Reconciliation a long journey, not ‘a few minutes’ of our time

Tell stories of contemporary successes, humour, resilience and kindness all year round — not just on Sept. 30

As Anishinaabe kwe, I am more than “a few minutes” of someone’s time.

As I write the first draft of this column, it has been five days since the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and I’m sure a few more will pass before publication date.

I’m at my laptop with bated breath, feverishly checking my emails and refreshing my inbox in hopes of hearing back from all those reporters and media outlets so desperate for my precious time in the two or three days prior to Sept. 30.

OK, I’ll admit it: I’m not here desperately checking emails.

I’m googling how many days have passed from June 3, when National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was announced publicly, to the actual date of Sept. 30.

I knew news coverage would move on to other topics.

I knew the interest of local Indigenous matters would take a back seat after Sept. 30 and be replaced by other headlines.

But entertain me: allow me to share the backstory, to provide a correction to present practices of the media, from my perspective.

In 2013, Orange Shirt Day — a campaign to bring awareness of residential schools to the public — began out west.

In 2015, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission published a report that outlined the definition of reconciliation and how the work of relationship building rests on the permanent campers (a.k.a. settlers), something often noted by team member Justice Murray Sinclair, one of the collaborators/authors of the commission’s report.

Reconciliation requires that a new vision, based on a commitment to mutual respect, be developed.

Reconciliation is about relationships with one another grounded in mutual understanding and respect.

The report’s Calls to Action are steps governments and systems could employ to achieve reconciliation, including the establishment of a statutory holiday to “honour survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”

In March 2019, the first bill to have a day of commemoration died in the Senate.

On June 3, 2021, Bill C-5 was passed to designate Sept. 30 a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

On Aug. 3, 2021, the new bill came into full force for Sept. 30.

Now let’s do some math: There are 119 days from June 3 to Sept. 30.

That’s 119 days I could have scheduled interviews, prepped material and built a relationship with the media.

So why were reporters only reaching out to me two or three days prior to that?

This need for instant information and perspectives to sensationalize an event is part of a more systemic issue.

Heck, even when the prime minister was off Sept. 30, media found a way to make our first formal day of recognition about him.

But where is the value of reporting or telling stories that only sell headlines and subscriptions?

The requests for interviews were plenty and seemed to always require “only a few minutes” of my time, but had to occur within 24 hours.

While I was prepping materials for weeks prior to Sept. 30 to be distributed to staff at my place of work, managing my own family as well as connecting with my home community who have many “thrivers,” I did not appreciate the insistence of “only a few minutes of my time” to meet a deadline.

Reconciliation is about mutual respect and understanding and is a lifelong journey — not a moment of time.

I didn’t outright decline to be interviewed.

I simply asked for the professional and personal courtesy of postponing, offering my time after Sept. 30.

Interestingly enough, no media have contacted me, which prompts several questions:

Is Sept. 30 a flash event that brings awareness on one day? Is Sept. 30 not worthy of headlines for other days of the year?

Is media only interested in traumabased, sensationalized headlines that exploit First Nations?

While I certainly recognize and appreciate the irony of this article being published in a daily newspaper, the medium is truly the message.

Thanks Marshall McLuhan for that insight.

There are some good people out there in media who are trying to change the systems, the stories.

But there are many who need to catch up.

Whatever my “few minutes of time” are worth, find those stories of contemporary successes, humour, resilience and kindness and make those a part of every media story.