TRC to host celebration of cultures August 14 at Harbourfront Centre

August 13, 2012 – The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) will host “an evening of dialogue and a celebration of cultures in the spirit of reconciliation” August 14 as part of Harbourfront Centre’s Planet IndigenUS Festival.

Shared Perspectives, An Evening of Reconciliation will feature a keynote address by TRC Chair Justice Murray Sinclair, dynamic performances by dancers and drummers from the Aboriginal and Black communities, and an Authors’ Dialogue moderated by veteran broadcast journalist Shelagh Rogers. The event gets underway at 7:30 p.m. on Harbourfront Centre’s WestJet Stage.

American civil rights champion Rev. Jesse Jackson was scheduled to attend but had to withdraw for personal reasons.

“The Black and Aboriginal communities are natural partners in the struggle for social justice,” said Justice Sinclair. “Both are overcoming the legacies of racist government policies. Shared Perspectives is an opportunity for us to celebrate the strengths we’ve developed through decades of struggle – strengths that are rooted in a commitment to justice and a sense of possibility.”

Shared Perspectives is co-sponsored by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which will be represented by Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall. Justice Sinclair and Commissioner Marie Wilson will represent the TRC.

TRC Commissioners Sinclair and Wilson will be available to update media representatives on the work of the Commission August 14 from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. in the Carlyle Room of the Delta Chelsea Hotel, 33 Gerrard St. W.

Shared Perspectives performers include: the Red Spirit Drum Group, made up of members of the Ojibway, Cree, Oneida, Mic Mac and Dakota Nations; Beyond Sound Empijah, a newly formed collective of young men of African descent from the Toronto area; and renowned hoop dancer Lisa Odjig. Writer-storytellers Itah Sadu and Richard Wagamese will participate in the Authors’ Dialogue.

The TRC was established as a result of the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. Its mandate is to inform all Canadians about what happened in the 150-year history of the residential schools, and to guide and inspire a process of reconciliation based on mutual understanding and respect. For more information, visit www.trc.ca.

Harbourfront Centre is an innovative, not-for-profit cultural organization which provides internationally renowned programming in the arts, culture, education and recreation, all within a collection of distinct venues on a 10-acre site in the heart of Toronto’s downtown waterfront. Visit http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com for details.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 14th, 2012 at 8:35 am and is filed under Arts & Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.