The summit begins promptly at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 29th, and will end at 5:30 p.m. Registration opens at 8 a.m. in the foyer of the Max Bell Building.
The summit will be held at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, on the side of Sleeping Buffalo Mountain in the Town of Banff. The talks and workshops themselves will be held in the Max Bell Building on the Banff Centre campus. You can find directions here.
Yes, there is parking available, although we encourage local residents to walk, carpool, or ride their bike to reduce traffic congestion. Long-term parking is available in two locations on campus: the underground parkade on the north side of campus and the visitor parking lot on the south end of campus. Campus directory maps are located at the two entrances. Directions to the parkade: Follow the parking signs to the parkade located below the Music & Sound Building. Eric Harvie Theatre, Margaret Greenham Theatre, and The Club are adjacent to the parkade.
We encourage our guests to dress "mountain casual". This means wearing clothing that you are comfortable sitting and moving around in, with layers that you can add or remove depending on the temperature.
Yes, Banff Centre prides itself on providing delicious food options that are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Please indicate any dietary restrictions on your registration form and we will be able to create a special meal option for you.
Banff Centre is equipped for disability access. We encourage you to let our team know your needs in advance by emailing reconciliation@banffcentre.ca so that we can plan ahead to ensure you have resources at your disposal.
We encourage members of the local Indigenous community to attend as well as anyone who interfaces with Indigenous people in the Bow Valley.
Everyone is invited to attend the summit, although some content will focus on issues specific to the Bow Valley. If you are interested in witnessing the summit but it is too far to travel to Banff, we encourage you to watch the summit live stream. The live stream channel will be linked to our website closer to the event. The event will also be recorded so that you can watch at another time.
Yes! You can participate in reconciliation whether or not you are directly involved with Indigenous relations.
Yes, minors are welcome to attend the event. Please note that there will be extended periods of sitting and listening.
Yes, there will be invited Indigenous thought leaders present, as well as members of local Indigenous communities.
Due to the tremendous interest in this important subject from across the nation, the Summit will be live streamed so that people are able to witness and participate in reconciliation from home. The live stream channel will be linked to our website closer to the event. The event will also be recorded so that you can watch at another time.
The Banff Centre takes the TRC calls to action very seriously and wants to take an active leadership role in raising the awareness of what occurred and inspire people to take action.
"The TRC is a component of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. Its mandate is to inform all Canadians about what happened in Indian Residential Schools (IRS). The Commission will document the truth of survivors, families, communities and anyone personally affected by the IRS experience." -From the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Website
"The TRC views reconciliation as an on-going individual and collective process that will require participation from all those affected by the Indian Residential Schools experience. We will move towards achieving reconciliation through activities such as public education and engagement, commemoration and recommendations to the parties." -From the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Website
"Indian Residential Schools are a part of our shared history, a history that is not well understood by many. Canada's relationship with Aboriginal people has suffered as a result of the IRS system. Healing and repairing that relationship will require education, awareness, and increased understanding of the legacy and the impacts still being felt for everyone involved in that relationship." -From the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Website
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued a document identifying 94 Calls to Action to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation. You can find the Calls to Action here: https://edubirdie.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Truth-and-Reconciliation-Commission-of-Canada.pdf
First Nations & Indigenous Studies at the University of British Columbia have created a helpful guide to help inform your decisions on terminology: http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/