Truth and Economic Reconciliation

Our Commitment

At the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, we know that all of us have an important role to play in advancing Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 92 calls on Canada’s corporate sector and business community to advance reconciliation, and we are humbly learning and expanding our work.

As an organization, we are embarking on a journey to learn the truth, support Indigenous entrepreneurs and professionals and act as a resource for our business community as they take on their own journeys. We are committed to using our voice to amplify Indigenous voices, celebrate achievements and progress and advocate for systemic change.

In Focus: September 30: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30 each year is observed as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day pays tribute to the children who did not make it back home, as well as to the survivors of residential schools and their families and communities. Publicly recognizing and reflecting on the tragic history and continuing effects of residential schools is an essential part of Truth and Reconciliation.

September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, which is an Indigenous-led grassroots movement to highlight the lasting impacts of residential schools on individuals, families and communities, and to support the principle that “Every Child Matters.” The orange shirt symbolizes the cultural, personal and emotional loss endured by Indigenous children across generations.

On this day, Canadians are encouraged to wear orange to honour the thousands of survivors of residential schools.

What’s on in the community:

• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at Arts Commons: Join Arts Commons on September 30 to celebrate Indigenous ways of knowing and being: sign up for an art gallery tour and artist talk featuring artists from Building Bridges and ReconciliACTION (in partnership with CIF Reconciliation Society); explore Indigenous artistry and culture at the Indigenous Makers Market; and learn about the dark past that is our shared history, and the resilience and strength of Indigenous peoples, through the Elders Story Project.  
• Orange Shirt Day with the City of Calgary: Join the City of Calgary from 9 to 10:30am at The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland, 750 9 Ave. S.E. to commemorate Indian residential school victims, honour survivors and their families, and commit to acting on reconciliation. Hear presentations from various speakers, including the Mayor, Indigenous Elders and school board representatives at The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland (previously Fort Calgary). A blessing from an Elder will start the event and Indigenous dancers will entertain during. 
• Pokaiks Commemorative Walk: Pokaiks – The Children Commemorative Walk and Gathering 2024 is a tribute to survivors of the Residential School System and Sixties Scoop, held annually on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The walk will begin at 10 am at Peace Bridge and continue to Contemporary Calgary. This will be followed by traditional drumming and dancing performances, remarks from members of the Indigenous community, artisan and community booths, food and beverage offerings, and other engaging activities. The event is free and all are welcome. 
• Presentation by Author Michelle Good: The University of Calgary is hosting author of award-winning novel Five Little Indians, Michelle Good for a presentation – held on campus and virtually.  
• Elisapie at National Music Centre: Join us for a special concert on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation featuring Inuk artist and activist Elisapie, known for bringing awareness to the culture, language and realities of the Northern Arctic Inuit through her music.
• Film Screening of Bones of Crows: On Sunday, September 29 from 6:30 – 9:00pm, the Calgary Public Library will be hosting a film screening of Bones and Crows, a multigenerational epic and story of resilience told through the eyes of Cree matriarch Aline Spears, played throughout her life by Summer Testawich, Grace Dove (Monkey Beach) and Carla-Rae (Rutherford Falls). Removed from their family home and forced into Canada’s residential school system, young musical prodigy Aline and her siblings are plunged into a struggle for survival. Over the next hundred years, Aline and her descendants fight against systemic starvation, racism and sexual abuse — and work to build a more just future. 
• Is your organization hosting a public event? Share it with us at policy@calgarychamber.com.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day is also an important time to learn and reflect. To learn more about the day, visit Orange Shirt Society, the City of Calgary, or the Canadian Center for Diversity and Inclusion – and to learn more about Truth and Reconciliation, visit the resources below.

• Participate in One Day’s Pay, which encourages people to give one day's pay to support Indigenous projects, movements, organizations and nations.
• Visit a regional Indigenous museums like Tsuut'ina Museum, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, or Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park.
• Visit murals in downtown Calgary created by Indigenous artists as part of Calgary’s BUMP festival.
• Participate in one of the 150 Acts of Reconciliation outlined here.

Resources

‘Truth’ is an important part of the truth and reconciliation journey – and is the most important place to start. To learn more about Canada’s history, visit the following resources:

• Watch a short video from the Calgary Foundation to learn why land acknowledgements matter, and why recognizing the history of where we are gathered matters.
• Watch Namwayut: we are all one, a short video by CBC on Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.
• Take the University of Alberta’s free online course ‘Indigenous Canada’ that explores the different histories and contemporary perspectives of Indigenous peoples living in Canada.
• Read A Brief Introduction to Indigenous Peoples in Alberta from the Government of Alberta to learn about Alberta’s history.
• Learn about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action to understand Canada’s path forward and the role we each play.
• Visit the website Native Land for an interactive map of where Indigenous territories, treaties and languages have been over time, and understand more about the history of wherever you call home. You can also find out if you live near a former Residential School site.
• Dive into Calgary Foundation’s Treaty 7 Ally Toolkit.
• Read the Reconciliation Toolkit for Business Leaders, published by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.

Some of this content may be difficult or triggering. There are resources to support you.

The Indian Residential School Survivor 24-hour crises line: 1.866.925.4419.

We have several Chamber members and businesses in our network who provide consulting services to help your business take the next step:

• Forum Community Relations
• Nisto Consulting
• Rise Consulting

Our Journey

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce has a long history. Dating back to 1891 and established at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers, the Calgary Chamber was established just 14 years after the signing of Treaty 7, which secured the survival of First Nations in modern southern Alberta, but at a great cost. According to the Treaty's provisions, First Nations relinquished their traditional hunting territory in return for reserves and annual payments from the Crown, as well as the right to continue hunting and trapping in the ceded areas.

First Nations communities continued to endure a long history of systemic injustices including residential schools, land dispossession and cultural assimilation policies, which have led to profound intergenerational trauma. As the hub for commerce dating back to the late 1800s, we acknowledge that the Chamber may have contributed to the hardships of Indigenous peoples, despite not having records to fully understand our own history.

Fast-forward to 1979 when the Chamber established the Aboriginal Opportunities Committee in an effort to advance reconciliation in the business community. This was the longest running group of its kind in Canada, bringing together Indigenous community members with the broader Chamber membership to create systemic change. Through various changes at the Chamber, including related to the COVID-19 pandemic, this committee was disbanded.

In recent years, the Chamber has reignited its commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, vowing to bring a more consistent and intentional approach to our efforts. We formed a Staff Working Group with team members from all departments recognizing our work must be consistent and integrated into everything we do. We developed formal accountability for our economic reconciliation work under a member of our Executive Leadership Team to ensure consistency, intentionality and accountability at the highest levels of the organization.

The Chamber staff and Board have participated in various initiatives to learn about our history and understand the role we each play in advancing truth and reconciliation, including the KAIROS Blanket Exercise, encouraging staff to pursue the University of Alberta’s Indigenous Canada course and sharing resources with our teams. We are committed to continuing to learn ensuring our efforts remain active and are never complacent.

In the past several years, the Chamber has hosted several events, including Forums on National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 and shared resources with our members ahead of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. We have reintroduced our Indigenous Entrepreneur Award as part of our Small Business Week Awards and hosted networking events with urban Indigenous professionals. We have also increased our focus on economic reconciliation in our policy work, advocating for systemic change that supports Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses access capital, participate in procurement and increase grid connectivity.

But we are still in the early days of our journey.

The Calgary Chamber is currently embarking on our work to develop a framework and key priorities for how we advance truth and reconciliation work, which is guided by our Indigenous Advisory Circle. We will have more to share in the coming months and welcome your thoughts and perspectives at policy@calgarychamber.com.

Explore some of our recent work in this area

• Approaching Economic Reconciliation (Sep 25, 2023)
• National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21, 2022)
• Reconciliation: A journey for Calgary businesses (June 16, 2021)
• National Indigenous Peoples Day Engagement Forum (June 27, 2024)
• Fostering Indigenous Inclusion and Economic Empowerment (June 28, 2023)