Skip to main content
Top of the Page

OASW recognizes The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Reflections on breaking cycles of harm and helpful resources for social workers

Return to The Social

As we marked 10 years since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action this fall,  OASW reflected on Canada’s history of residential schools, the forced separation of children from their families, and the generational harm this cultural genocide has caused in Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. 


For OASW board member Natasha Sakchekapo-Lalande, it is a time to reflect on the role of social workers in supporting and building bright futures for younger generations of Indigenous people in Ontario.

Booshoo, Wachiye. Akogishiikwe nindizhinikaaz, Ojijakos ni dodum.

My English name is Natasha, and my spirit name translates to Strong Sky Woman. I am a first-generation cycle breaker from North Caribou Lake First Nation. Truth and Reconciliation is about bridging connections, building new pathways in our minds, and making positive changes in how we move forward.

Truth is naming what was done.

Reconciliation is choosing what we do now. It is listening, it is healing, and it is honoring the children and the generations yet to come.

Above all, I am a mother first. Being a mother grounds me and gives meaning to everything I do. My autistic son has been my greatest teacher, showing me lessons far beyond what any textbook or clinical training could offer. His and my diagnoses shifted my career from focusing solely on trauma to working as a Dual Diagnosis Specialist.

I completed a Master’s degree in Indigenous Trauma and Resiliency, became a certified Autism Coach, and I am proud to be an Autistic Registered Indigenous Social Worker serving remote northern communities. I have lived through trauma and addictions and found my way to healing so that others may know they, too, can rise.

Through my practice, Bihsidaamook Services, I support Indigenous youth and families on their journeys of healing and reconnection.

The work I do is rooted in the grandfather teaching of Zaagi’ (Love): for the children I meet today and for the generations yet to come. My Shoomis taught me that food and laughter are medicine. Humour, nourishment, and shared emotions connect us so no one is ever alone.

Truth and Reconciliation is courage: naming harms, taking real action, and celebrating the bravery of Indigenous children, families, and communities.

I encourage all social workers to walk with honesty, humility, and love, so that future generations inherit a world where they are free to thrive and proud to live.

Chi-Miigwetch. All my Relations, Natasha Sakchekapo

Find out more about Natasha's practice here.

 

From Awareness to Action: Truth & Reconciliation Resources for Settler Social Workers

Those of us who identify as settlers in social work are called to pause and consider the histories we carry and the futures we can help shape. Social work is reckoning with legacies of harm while also seeking ways to support Indigenous-led healing and justice.

The work of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is part of a wider global movement to confront colonial legacies and build futures rooted in justice. For social workers, this is a reminder that our work is not only about individual practice but also about standing in solidarity with communities, here and elsewhere, who are resisting erasure and building futures of dignity and care.

The resources below offer pathways to deepen understanding, center children, and reimagine practice through accountability and solidarity.

Understanding the History and Legacy

Reconciliation begins with truth. For social workers, that includes recognizing Canada’s history of residential schools and the profession’s complicity in upholding systems of oppression. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Report and Calls to Action remain essential guides on this path. The resources below offer space to learn, reflect, and engage with that history:

Centering Children and Future Generations

Much of reconciliation is about the future we want to create for children. These resources focus on equity in services, child-friendly education on reconciliation, and Indigenous-led advocacy:

Transforming Practice and Systems

Reconciliation also asks us to reflect on how social work is practiced today, and how it might shift toward cultural safety, equity, and Indigenous rights. These resources provide frameworks for meaningful change:

Accountability and Advocacy

Commitment to reconciliation also means confronting systemic injustices. For social workers, this means listening to Calls for Justice and Calls to Action, while also recognizing how struggles against colonial violence are connected globally. Advocacy is both local and shared: it asks us to hold systems accountable, challenge inequity, and act in solidarity.

Moving Forward Together

The Calls to Action are not a checklist but a roadmap. For settler social workers, the work lies in both personal reflection and collective advocacy:
  • Self-reflection: Notice how colonial systems shape your practice and explore ways to shift toward equity.
  • Relationship-building: Seek authentic partnerships with Indigenous communities and organizations.
  • Advocacy: Use your position to challenge systemic barriers and support Indigenous-led solutions.

Reconciliation is not a one-month project; it is lifelong work. For social workers, walking this path means aligning practice with justice, humility, and compassion, and recognizing that struggles for dignity and equity are interconnected…here in Canada and across the globe.

   
"Truth is naming what was done. Reconciliation is choosing what we do now. It is listening, it is healing, and it is honouring the children and the generations yet to come."

Natasha Sakchekapo-Lalande



"My boys are the reason I chose to break generational cycles, and become a helper. My oldest son’s spirit name is Bihsidaamook, meaning 'they are listening.'"

"Joseph Sakchekapo, my Shoomis, the first man who taught he unconditional love. He helped others in such a way that healed and created connection."

About OASW

OASW is the voice of the social work profession in Ontario. It is a voluntary, bilingual, non-profit association representing more than 10,000 social workers. All members have a university degree in social work at the bachelor, master or doctoral level. OASW works to actively speak on behalf of social workers on issues of interest to the profession and advocates for the improvement of social policies and programs directly affecting social work practice and client groups served.

Back to Top