By Cecilia Nasmith

Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and Northumberland Learning Connection invites you to observe the occasion with a free Sept. 29 presentation.

Originally planned to take place at the Alderville First Nation Community Centre, the 7:30 p.m. event featuring David B. MacDonald will now take place at Cobourg's Victoria Hall due to renovations.

The bill to establish the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to commemorate the tragic legacy of residential schools received royal assent in June 2021 after passing unanimously in the Senate. Canadian Heritage Minister Stephen Guilbeault said the objective was to create a chance for Canadians to learn more about and reflect on a dark chapter in their country's history, as well as to commemorate the survivors and their families and communities (as called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Indigenous leaders).

The title of the Sept. 29 presentation will be TRC Seven Years Later: Settlers and Conciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

Dr. MacDonald is a mixed-race political science professor from Treaty 4 lands in Regina, Saskatchewan, with Trinidad Indian and Scottish ancestry. A full professor at Guelph, he was appointed in 2017 as the Research Leadership Chair for the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences. He has held faculty positions in New Zealand and France, and has a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

His book The Sleeping Giant Awakens is based on archival research and exclusive interviews with such subjects as residential school survivors and Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada officials. Offering a unique and timely perspective on the prospects for conciliation after genocide, it explores the difficulty of moving forward together in a context where many settlers know little of the residential schools and the ongoing legacies of colonization. Dr. MacDonald will share his perspective on the issues and potential routes to reconciliation.

For more information, or to reserve your ticket, visit www.connectnlc.ca