When I first began the Truth BEFORE Reconciliation unit, I thought I understood what reconciliation meant. I saw Indigenous art brightening the streets of North Vancouver, heard land acknowledgments at public events, and watched schools celebrate Indigenous heritage. I assumed this reflected a long-standing harmony, but as I dug deeper, I realized that beneath the surface lies a history of pain, loss, and resilience that we cannot ignore.
My launch reflection was the moment I realized how much understanding I could show through my writing. I poured my thoughts onto the page and felt I had produced some of my strongest work of the year. It was raw, honest, and personal, and it set the tone for the rest of the unit. Next, when creating my Venn diagram comparing Indigenous practices with Western ones, I struggled to make sense of the differences and overlaps between them. It was challenging to confront how colonial structures had shaped our society, but mapping it out visually helped me understand how Indigenous knowledge and Western systems can both clash and complement each other. My semantics map later allowed me to dig even deeper, connecting ideas from the readings, survivor testimonies, and the Calls to Action, creating a web that revealed how deeply history influences the present.
The final response brought everything together. Writing it felt like tying threads of understanding into a single tapestry. I reflected on generational trauma, on my own family’s history, and on the resilience of Indigenous communities. I thought about how the Calls to Action offer guidance for our generation not to carry guilt, but to act with understanding and responsibility. That sense of purpose made the work feel bigger than an assignment; it was a lesson in empathy, accountability, and courage.
Throughout this journey, I developed skills I didn’t anticipate. I learned to research thoughtfully and critically, to connect ideas visually and conceptually, and to express my thoughts with clarity and reflection. I strengthened my ability to engage with challenging material, to view history from multiple perspectives, and to recognize the power of storytelling as a tool for understanding and driving change. Working through the project also taught me how to collaborate and support others, even when the topic was heavy and challenging.
Truth BEFORE Reconciliation is important because it forces us to confront history honestly before we can imagine a better future. This unit reminded me that reconciliation is not a single moment, but an ongoing practice of learning, listening, and acting. Understanding the depth of past injustices and the resilience of Indigenous communities has changed how I see my role in the world. I am learning that moving forward requires more than awareness—it requires engagement, empathy, and the courage to make change real. This course has shown me that history is not only something to remember but something to respond to, and that is why it matters.