What is the Role of the Newcomer Serving Sector in Truth and Reconciliation

“We have forgotten about that sacred meeting space between the Settler ship and the Indigenous canoe, Odagahodhes, where we originally agreed on the Two Row, and where today we need to return to talk about the impacts of its violation.”

Elder Gae Ho Hwako

The Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT) invites you to join us for a reflexive conversation about Indigenous-migrant relations in the context of Truth and Reconciliation of Canada. We are honoured to have Cayuga Elder Gae Ho Hwako (Norma Jacobs) of Six Nations of Grand River and Dr. Timothy Leduc of Wilfrid Laurier University join us and share their new book Odagahodhes: Reflecting on Our Journeys. They will talk about the Indigenous values that brought us to the sacred meeting place in the original treaties of Turtle Island, particularly the Two Row Wampum, and the sharing process that was meant to foster good relations from the beginning of the colonial era.

This conversation will be followed up with a talk by Mbalu Lumor (CCVT) Senior Manager, Programs and Newcomer Services and Dr. Chizuru Nobe-Ghelani (University of Waterloo) who has been conducting a community-based research on Indigenous-Refugee relations along with Elder Gae Ho Hwako and Dr. Leduc. They will share some of the findings from the project and discuss the implication for broader settlement sector and migrant communities.