Siloam Mission unveils new commitment to truth and reconciliation
Siloam Mission announced a new commitment to truth and reconciliation
The organization said the commitment involves responses to numerous calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as well as details on how it will incorporate truth and reconciliation principles into its mission, vision and values.
“Today is really about what we can acknowledge has happened and how we are moving forward,” said Siloam Mission CEO Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud.
The commitment includes seeking and respecting the guidance of knowledge keepers, advisors and staff to ensure their space is not harmful to Indigenous people, to adopt practices that ensure Indigenous people have equitable access to jobs, training and education, and to recognize the value of Indigenous healing practices, by making elder supports available whenever possible.
The commitment was developed in the wake of the Laborero Report, which was commissioned following a wave of criticism in January of 2021 from a group called ‘Not My Siloam,’ made up of former employees and concerned citizens.
The grassroots organization called for Siloam’s then-CEO Jim Bell to resign, saying he was a barrier to the inclusion of Indigenous traditions and cultural practices in Siloam Mission services.
By February, Bell had resigned and Siloam Mission commissioned the competency evaluation. That report recommended hiring an Indigenous relations director, looking for more Indigenous representation on its board of directors, and to fulfill commitments as part of Winnipeg’s Indigenous Accord and as part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.
Blaikie Whitecloud said the new commitment was made not only to hold the organization accountable to recommendations made in the Laborero Report, but also to ensure a path forward.
“You can't have reconciliation without truth, and the truth is that there have been moments in the past where Siloam Mission has failed to come alongside Indigenous peoples as an ally, or failed to recognize and then respond by providing appropriate services to the colonial impacts that Indigenous people are experiencing today,” Blaikie Whitecloud said.
The organization says it will update its commitment to truth and reconciliation on an annual basis.
The full commitment can be read on Siloam Mission’s website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.