Indigenous Cultural Programmer Tsawaysia Spukwus and Jordan Dawson standing together next to the Coast Salish Welcome Circle inside MONOVA’s award-winning Main Exhibit Gallery. Photo: Alison Boulier

September 30th is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Originally and still commonly known as Orange Shirt Day, the day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, and recognizes the painful history and ongoing impact of residential schools on First Nation, Inuit, and Métis families and communities.

For the month of September, MONOVA will engage the community through a series of programs and events designed to inspire reflection and meaningful dialogue for people of all ages, as we commemorate and participate in Truth and Reconciliation.

Admission to MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver is free for those who self-identify as Indigenous. Special events may be ticketed.

Scrapbooking with Tsawaysia Spukwus
Thursday, September 7 from 5:30 to 7:45 pm. Cost: Included with admission
Create memories for generations to come during this scrapbooking drop-in program with Indigenous Cultural Programmer Tsawaysia Spukwus. Relax and spark your creative ideas, listen to music, chat with staff, and enjoy tea and refreshments while you scrapbook your personal photographs and memorabilia. Bring your pictures and creativity. All art supplies included, traditional tea by donation.

Connections Speaker Series: Reconciliation Through Storytelling with Chief Dr Robert Joseph
Thursday, September 14 doors open at 6:30 pm. Cost: $30 Regular; $25 Annual Passholders; Free for Indigenous Guests. Tickets available here.

Join us as Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, O.B.C., hereditary chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation, shares reflections on his recent book, Namwayut – We Are All One: A Pathway to Reconciliation.  “Reconciliation represents a long way forward, but it is a pathway toward our higher humanity, our highest selves, and an understanding that everybody matters”. MONOVA is honoured to welcome Chief Dr. Robert Joseph to North Vancouver to encourage dialogue and learning around the ongoing work of Reconciliation.

Supported by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, proudly representing the Port of Vancouver.

Chief Robert Joseph, O.B.C, O.C., is a peace-builder who has devoted his life to promoting reconciliation among Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Cultural Knowledge Sharing with Sheryl Rivers
Saturday, September 16 from 12:00-2:00 pm. 

Join Siamtnaat & Milnitdi Sheryl Rivers for this special Cultural Knowledge Sharing, with Tales of Raven, the mischievous cultural hero of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) people, who brings about important community growth. Cultural and historical knowledge will be shared in a storytelling format, with diverse topics including Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) history, the Indian Act in Canada, Sacred Canoe Journeys, and North Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Residential School.  

Reconciliation begins with Truth followed by Action. Join us for this thought-provoking event in the lead-up to National Truth & Reconciliation Day on September 30. Time will be allotted for dialogue and questions.  

Connections Speaker Series: Held By the Land with Leigh Joseph
Saturday, September 23 from 2:00 to 4:00pm. Cost: $30 Regular; $25 Annual Passholders; Free for Indigenous Guests. Tickets available here.
Discover the Coast Salish traditions of using native plants as medicine and food in this Connections Speaker Series event with author and ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph, Styawatan, Squamish Nation member and mother of two. Her first book, Held by the Land: A Guide to Indigenous Plants for Wellness, is part narrative, part field guide and recipe book that draws on her lived experience as an Indigenous woman, her training in Western Science, and her cultural journey toward identity. Leigh is also a co-director and subject of the documentary Walking with Plants, nominated for 3 Leo Awards, and founder of the beauty brand Sḵwálwen Botanicals. Through her work, Leigh aims to contribute her voice as an Indigenous academic so that other Indigenous authors and students will feel themselves represented and reflected in ethnobotany literature.

Supported by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, proudly representing the Port of Vancouver

Author and ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph, Styawatan, Squamish Nation member and mother of two.

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation at MONOVA
Saturday, September 30 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Free admission on September 30; donations to support Programs and Exhibits are welcome. Funded by the Government of Canada.

Join us all day at MONOVA to engage and learn through hands-on activities designed to inspire reflection and meaningful dialogue for guests of all ages. The day includes: a gallery scavenger hunt highlighting Coast Salish history and culture; Painting Rocks for Reconciliation (from 2pm – 4pm); beading orange shirts; a selection of games to support learning about the impacts of policies such as the Indian Act on Indigenous peoples, Indigenous rights, and Reconciliation in Canada; the Second Annual Community Voices for Reconciliation activity and display; the showing of films and images about Reconciliation and Coast Salish history on the North Shore; a reading nook with literature about Coast Salish history and reconciliation; bannock and tea; colouring activities, and more.

Throughout the Month of September 
MONOVA and Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association invite residents and visitors, community groups and businesses on the North Shore to share your #ReconciliationStories. How are you contributing to this important work in redefining and enriching our communities? Share your reflections and actions with us on all major social media platforms using the #ReconciliationStories hashtag.

MONOVA and Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association’s hope that #ReconciliationStories will inspire engagement, deepen respect, and highlight ways to share, learn and celebrate actions throughout the year.

#ReconciliationStories is generously supported by Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association.

Coast Salish programming is generously supported by BMO Financial Group.