Day One Hundred Sixty Five: Letter to my Principal

Hazel Jardine gave me a call a week or so ago to let me know about the upcoming Truth and Reconcilliation Commission Hearings coming to Fort Qu'Appelle . I told her I planned on taking my grade ten students. She was very excited and I encouraged her to write a letter to Cathy Cochrane, my principal. The letter has just arrived.

I first met Hazel through table tennis about three years ago. She had called up the school because she heard we had some quality table tennis going on. Although she was over 75, she was having trouble finding anyone who could give her a good game. She and I played some table tennis, one hot June afternoon, and then in the fall, Hazel came out to help coach my elementary team.                                                                                

                                                                                                  May 4th, 2012

Dear Cathy,

     So pleased to hear that there will be some classes from Bert Fox going to the Governance Centre to observe or take part in the historical Truth and Reconciliation Commission on May 14th and 15th. I went to one in Lebret planned by Starblanket reserve along with twenty-five other church members and our local Kairos group. It was so amazing and we were so welcomed. It is so good to see over the 40 years we've been here some change in the separation of Aboriginal and others (whites, settlers, non-aboriginal citizens). We worked hard on the Community Play which was a first step -- working together on a common project to promote respect and understanding. As a Kairos group (ecumenical, justice oriented) we join hundreds of other Kairos groups across Canada who are joining in the celebration of such an important commission. We so hope there will be a good turnout of Community members from our community. The Lebret experience was called life changing by those non-aboriginals who went.

     So we wish you well in your hard work to bring life and understanding to our school and that young people and teachers be encouraged to acknowledge the truth and reconciliations wonderful work and come out on the 14th adn 15th, come and go gathering to listen, learn and rejoice.

                                                                                                  Hazel Jardine
                                                                                                  on behalf of the 16 Kairos members

P.S. In Winnipeg I worked hard to get Black History on the curriculum and win over the school board who at first thought it unnecessary as not that many black children were in the schools. We said it's the white kids who need to learn it and would love to see non-aboriginal kids here learn what all of us need to learn to understand and support.