Indigenous Speaker Series resumes tonight at NIC

North Island College's Indigenous Speaker Series continues tonight.

One of the early voices to speak up about residential schools, Randy Fred, says he wants to share his knowledge to help clarify how we can proceed together to continue working on advancing reconciliation.

He will share his thoughts on reconciliation based on his own real-world experiences and perspectives.

He will also touch on the importance of Indigenization and decolonization as crucial aspects in the reconciliation journey.

The talk is happening tonight from 6-8 at the Gathering Place at the Campbell River campus.

Fred is a Tseshaht First Nation Elder, writer and publisher, first speaking about his experiences in the book Resistance and Renewal, written by Celia Haig-Brown.

Published in 1988, it was one of the first to discuss residential schools in Canada.

In the decades since, Fred has recounted his experiences many times about surviving nine years at Alberni Indian Residential School.

“Reconciliation can be confusing, but I want to attempt to simplify it using my personal truth,” he said.

“Reconciliation need not be scary, and I will illustrate this with personal experiences. I will share stories about Indigenous ways of knowing and how this knowledge can benefit us all.”

For more information, visit North Island College.