Cover picture – spindle whorl by Butch Dick, The Signs of lək̓ ʷəŋən
The Victoria Urban Reconciliation Dialogue (VURD) is a network of partners
advancing reconciliation in the Greater Victoria area.
Anyone can be a part of Reconciliation.
Our Mission
To advance reconciliation in the greater Victoria area through actions that promote social repair and systemic change.
Our Vision
Moving into wholeness. Respectful relationships based in truth, healing,
and connection.
SOCIAL REPAIR refers to making amends for a wrong or injury done, and to restore to a good condition. In the context of reconciliation, this involves bringing about equality in areas most impacted by colonization, such as health and living conditions, and making positive changes that improve the lives of Indigenous people. Other examples include hiring Indigenous people in leadership positions, offering territorial acknowledgements, and building lasting positive relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
SYSTEMIC CHANGE refers to a process of decolonizing mainstream institutions and sectors (aka systems) and re-imagining and re-designing them to include a diversity of values and equitable access to power. This will enable everyone, including Indigenous people, to effectively navigate and benefit from these systems. As the systems change, so will the need for social repair, allowing more time for Indigenization, cultural resurgence and building inter-cultural relationships. This will reduce the amount of racism and bias against Indigenous people inherent in the system and have positive impacts on future generations.
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“My definition of reconciliation … is making the invisible visible. And I think at this time, everything that’s unfolding is making the invisible – that we as Indigenous people have all seen and known and felt – visible to the rest of this country.”
–Author Monique Gray Smith