Mush Hole Project and Integrating Knowledges Summit: Youth Truth and Reconciliation Workshop
Objective
Six Nations Elected Chief Counsel Ava Hill reminds us of the importance for mainstream Canada to understand the history of residential schools and the implications: “They need to understand what happened to our people by the government of the day. It is to blame for many of the social problems still being experienced today” (Ruby, 2014). Before we approach the complex meanings embedded in the language of “reconciliation” and “truth,” we must first address the societal challenges that emerged from the residential school system and the impact to educational paradigms and youth. The objective of the Mush Hole Project & Integrating Knowledges Youth Workshop is to create and encourage opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to meet and to share their lived experiences by opening channels of communication, facilitating intercultural spaces of learning, and acknowledge different historical contexts and knowledges in order to develop and sustain deeper understanding and relationships.
Workshop summary
Students
from
Six
Nations
Polytechnic
and
Assumption
College
students
in
Brantford
with
facilitators
from
both
communities
will
be
the
working
group
to
experience,
as
participants,
the
Mush
Hole
Project
site-specific
installation.
The
students’
involvement
promises
to
begin
their
conversation,
acknowledge
historical
contexts,
address
contemporary
challenges,
and
surface
questions
about
the
meaning
of
“truth”
and
“reconciliation”
experienced
by
each
individual
student.
After
the
attending
the
Mush
Hole
Project,
the
12
students
(6
from
Six
Nations
of
the
Grand
and
6
from
Assumption
College)
will
meet
to
discuss
and
share
their
experiences.
They
will
be
encouraged
to
produce
creative
articulations
together
or
as
individuals.
The
students
will
then
convene
as
delegates
at
a
pre-Summit
orientation
(Thursday,
October
13,
2016).
They
will
be
joined
by
up
to
40
students
from
the
Waterloo
Region
School
Board
to
share
and
continue
the
workshop
process
in
planned
activities
(see
schedule).
The
following
day,
they
will
attend
and
participate
in
the
Summit
events
(Friday,
October
14,
2016)
and
will
communicate
the
workshop
process
at
a
Circle
discussion
and
be
involved
with
a
seminar
session.
Detailed
programming
follows.
Parents,
guardians,
relatives,
relations
and
teachers
of
students
are
encouraged
to
attend
the
Mush
Hole
Project
and
Integrating
Knowledges
events
with
the
students.
Funding for the Mush Hole Project & Integrating Knowledges Youth Workshop is provided by Ontario Arts Council, University of Waterloo – Bob Harding Humanities and Social Sciences Award, SSHRC Connection grant, and our many collaborative organizations and individuals.