Reconciling History
with Jody Wilson-Raybould and Roshan Danesh
Jody Wilson-Raybould was not only born to be a leader but accepted the role as her responsibility, and she has fulfilled it with honour and grace and courage. There is no one better-suited to reflect on the shared future of Canada and what needs to be done to make reconciliation a reality in this country
Jody Wilson-Raybould returns to the Festival stage alongside co-author Roshan Danesh for a deep dive into their new book,
Reconciling History: A Story of Canada. Born out of the oral history in True Reconciliation, and complemented throughout with stunning photography and art, Reconciling History takes this approach to telling our collective story to an entirely different level.
The totem pole forms the foundation for this unique and important oral history of Canada. Its goal is both toweringly ambitious and beautifully direct: To tell the story of this country in a way that prompts readers to look from different angles, to see its dimensions, its curves, and its cuts. To see that history has an arc, just as the totem pole rises, but to realize that it is also in the details along the way that important meanings are to be found. To recognize that the story of the past is always there to be retold and recast, and must be conveyed to generations to come. That in the act of re-telling, meaning is found, and strength is built.
When it comes to telling the history of Canada, and in particular the history of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, we need to accept that the wayin which our history has traditionally been told has not been a common or shared enterprise. In many ways, it has been an exclusive and siloed one. Among the countless peoples and groups that make up this vast country, the voices and experiences of a few have too often dominated those of many others.
Books are available from our friends at Perfect Books.
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