Dr. Laura Cranmer, VIU professor of Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies, will share her perspective on the progress of Reconciliation at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre this fall.
Cranmer’s talk, “Resistance to Reconciliation?”, will discuss the gulf between commitment and reality in Reconciliation at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12, according to a news release by the Canadian Federation of University Women-Parksville Qualicum (CFUW-PQ), which will present the event.
Cranmer, a Namgis/Haida residential school survivor, has a PhD in Language and Literacy Education. Her talk will cover a range of topics that includes her learning journey, her career as a professor of Indigenous Studies and her observations of the “gulf between purported Truth and Reconciliation commitments and actual practices advanced by the settler consciousness writ large.”
Encouraging greater understanding of Reconciliation and what it means to all Canadians is a priority for CFUW-PQ. Like other CFUW clubs across the country, CFUW-PQ always starts meetings with acknowledgement that we are on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish — more specifically the Qualicum, Komoks and Snaw-naw-as people.
“It is a way to spark further reflection on the rights and culture of Indigenous peoples and our own settler heritage,” said Mary Ellen Campbell, CFUW-PQ president. CFUW-PQ also has a Talking Circle committee where members delve deeper into Indigenous issues.
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“We hope people in our community will join us as we listen to Dr. Cranmer’s reflections on Reconciliation,” Campbell said.
CFUW-PQ is one of 100 clubs under the national federation founded in 1919. It is committed to promoting equality, education and opportunities for women and girls locally, nationally and internationally. Inviting guest speakers to monthly meetings is one way the club promotes ongoing education.
As well, CFUW-PQ’s Scholarship & Bursary Trust (SBT) provides financial assistance to post-secondary and post-graduate students from the Parksville Qualicum Beach area. In 2022, the club gave out 12 awards totalling $32,500. Funding for SBT awards comes from donations and money raised at CFUW-PQ’s annual book sale.
This year’s book sale will be held Sept. 30 and Oct. 1-2 at the Coombs Fairgrounds.
— NEWS Staff, submitted