I am grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute to programming developed in partnership with the Museum of Man and Nature and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
This collaborative work focused on creating a self-guided educational experience that highlighted permanent exhibits connected to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. The goal of this work was to support learning, reflection, and dialogue about the history and ongoing impacts of residential schools.
As part of the programming, a series of video contributions were created featuring voices and perspectives that helped contextualize the exhibits and extend the learning experience. Contributors included myself, Amanda McLeod, and other community voices, alongside reflections from Indigenous leaders such as Murray Sinclair, Phyllis Webstad, and Nikki Komaksiutiksak.
This work was guided by a shared intention: to centre Indigenous voices and to support meaningful engagement with Truth and Reconciliation in public education spaces. Many participants and visitors expressed appreciation for the opportunity to engage with the exhibits and the expanded learning materials.
For me, this experience reinforced the importance of storytelling in educational spaces — and the responsibility we carry when sharing history, truth, and lived experience. Museums are not only places of display, but also places of dialogue, learning, and relationship-building.
I am honoured to have contributed to this work and to have been part of a collaborative effort that supports ongoing conversations about truth, history, and reconciliation.
Shezza Ansloos 