On September 30th, Acsenda School of Management will be closing our doors in recognition of The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families, and their communities. The Residential School System officially operated from the 1880s into the closing decades of the 20th century, it was a system that forcibly separated children from their families and forbade them to acknowledge their Indigenous heritage and culture or to speak their own languages.

We agree that a recognition of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

In recognition of Acsenda’s commitment to change, we have created a new goal to establish an accountability framework supporting decolonization and the development of Indigenous awareness and relationships at the program and institutional levels. We have a working group comprised of staff, faculty, and Indigenous mentors who are directing our planned actions over the coming year. We hope to make changes that serve to embrace Indigenous people in our community, introduce new Indigenous themes in our courses, create opportunities to enjoy Indigenous events and culture, and get to know our Indigenous roots.  All of this is aimed at increasing our appreciation for Indigenous peoples through study, friendship, and connection.

We encourage everyone to learn more about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. All members of our community are encouraged to honour the day, whether through personal reflection, education, and awareness activities or by participating in Orange Shirt Day or other events within your communities.

We will be holding an on-campus reflection which will be held on September 29th at 2 PM.  We encourage students, staff, and faculty to attend. The aim of the reflection is to honour the survivors of residential schools, their families, and friends, as well as those who never returned.

We hope to see you there. Thank you.