Calgary Public Library hosts Indigenous programming for Truth and Reconciliation
By Julianna Keskic, September 28 2024—
On Sept. 30, the Calgary Public Library will host educational events to honour the victims and survivors of Canada’s residential school system. Kelli Morning Bull, the Indigenous Services Program design lead at the Calgary Public Library, spoke about events happening this month, and their Indigenous programming with the Gauntlet.
Morning Bull highlighted the Orange Shirt Day event that will be running at all library locations in the city. All of the locations will have an activation station where a list of resources and staff-picked books will be accessible for patrons to pick up and learn about Truth and Reconciliation.
“On Sept. 30, we have a system wide activity that we will be doing at each of the locations. We will have orange feathers at all the locations that people can write a message on. They can write to residential school survivors, they can write a message of hope, they can write whatever their heart desires related to the content of this day that is for recognition of truth and reconciliation.”
Morning Bull also discussed the library’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and the establishment of Indigenous Services.
“In 2015, the federal government released a call to action for libraries to make changes towards Truth and Reconciliation. That’s when the library hired the first Indigenous design lead Teneya Gwin, who did a lot of community consultation, going into communities and talking about the library and how we could include Indigenous members and have them feel welcome in the library,” said Morning Bull.
Morning Bull described placemaking — a series of art installations that promote understanding of Indigenous peoples and cultures within Treaty 7 territory — traditional and contemporary art installations by Indigenous artists at Central, Crowfoot, Forest Lawn, Saddletowne, Seton, Signal Hill, Shawnessy and Village Square libraries.
“Teneya had talked with the Indigenous community, and with their input one of the things that had come out was working with Elders. That’s how the Elders’ Guidance Circle Program came into place. In 2019 the Public Library hired Jared Tailfeathers and Tamara Cardinal who help[ed] establish the Indigenous placemaking initiative. Placemaking helps set the foundation of how we work with community, how we work with Elders, and how we work with traditional knowledge and those stories,” said Morning Bull.
Morning Bull said the library has a space for Indigenous individuals to smudge at every location. Smudging is the practice of burning various medicinal plants to cleanse and connect with their spirit and with the Creator. It may also be used to cleanse and purify oneself and their surroundings. The library also provides informational pamphlets on smudging for those unfamiliar with the practice.
Morning Bull stated that the library wants to bridge the gap of knowledge for patrons about Indigenous culture and relations by providing a space to find foundational knowledge.
“The library is there as a support, to reach out to Indigenous services if you have a question, or inquiry. Whether a question to help their personal journey or about something that’s at the library — or even if they’ve seen something they want to better understand, they’re more than welcome to reach out to the Calgary Public Library Indigenous Services,” said Morning Bull.
For more information about the Calgary Public Library’s Indigenous Services as well as their event calendar for the month visit their website here. To learn more about the Indigenous Placemaking initiative visit their website here.