Kokum Calls You: Truth, reconciliation and joy

By Holly Anghel, September 29, 2025—

Kokum Calls You is returning to campus for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, 2025.

The initiative was established in the summer of 2024 by participants in the graduate certificate program: Indigenous Education: A Call to Action.

“I think about the ancestors. What would they want? This event is meant to generate joy, a sense of community and belonging,” said Dr. Yvonne Poitras Pratt, Werklund School of Education professor, citizen of the Otipemisiwak Métis government, and Academic Coordinator of the Call to Action program.

Kokum, meaning grandmother in Cree, invites participants to take meaningful action toward Truth and Reconciliation. This year’s event will focus on creating connections and shared humanity.

“There is a lot of tendency to focus on the pain of Indigenous peoples,” said Pratt. “Elder Wanda First Rider [Kainai] and I decided that we would like to do something different. We wanted to do something creative and inspirational to build a sense of community.”

With only a few weeks to plan, the Education Students Association (ESA) partnered with the Faculty of Nursing and the Faculty of Social Work to bring the event together.

“Our collaboration is honestly just pure joy,” said Manar Al-Yasiri, Vice President of the ESA. “I’m from Iraq… we have volunteers from Iran, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and more who have all come together to put in their effort to support the event. We are very, very lucky to have them.”

This event is one of several initiatives taking place on campus to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. 

Kokum Calls You will take place on Sept. 30, 2025, at 10:00 am at the Red and White Club, located at 1833 Crowchild Trail NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2M 4R6.

Click here to register. Click here to read more about last year’s event.