Reconciliation in Action was the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers’ (SASW) effort to promote reconciliation in the region. The full-day event featured presentations by Lyndon Linklater from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, Vee Whitehorse from Leading Thunderbird Lodge in Fort Qu’Appelle, as well as a KAIROS Blanket Exercise.
Barbara Pelletier, organizer, explains that the event was attended largely by people in the social work, human services and medical fields. The event was important for them because they need to understand the perspective of their aboriginal clients, especially as many of the subjects covered over the day were not a focus of the education system.
“I think it’s especially important for us to have that perspective of what really happened and how residential schools, for example, impact our society nowadays. When we deal with a lot of social issues we are in a better position when we have that understanding.”
The event was split into two groups, with alternate events in the morning and afternoon. The reason behind this was to make it more effective for attendees, explains Pelletier.
“We have smaller groups and better, intimate discussion about how we can put this information to practice.”
The goal of the event was to promote understanding, Pelletier explains.
“We’re all human, we have a lot of things in common. Treaties and residential schools did not just affect indigenous people, they also affect non-indigenous people in a really important way as well. We need to recognize that, to recognize our part in what has happened and the implications it has on today.”
Understanding is the goal, and Pelletier hopes that events like Reconciliation in Action can help rebuild the relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous people.
“Historically there has been such a divide in Saskatchewan, but I think that by visiting, spending time together, getting to know each other, we can tear down walls of separation.”
Pelletier hopes there are more events like this in the future on a much broader scale.
It was also Social Work Week in Canada. Pelletier says they want to celebrate what they do while improving their skills and understanding.
