Saplings strives to contribute to lasting reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action (2015) and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007). Saplings’ intention is to contribute to reconciliation through implicitly and explicitly honouring Indigenous ways of being. Whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous, Saplings believes that educators in all communities have an important role to play in responding to the TRC and UNDRIP.  Saplings’ educators will work to create spaces where learning is cyclical, regenerative, holistic, experiential, and communal. Saplings educators affirm the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family, including children. Affirming that all peoples contribute to the diversity and richness of civilizations and cultures, which constitute the common heritage of hu­mankind, is the necessary foundation for freedom, justice, and peace in the world. 
 

Through including resources by Indigenous authors and artists, Saplings will celebrate the beauty of the Indigenous Arts and pay homage to its storytellers, writers, actors, singers, dancers, activists, speakers, and more. Please note that it will sometimes be necessary to approach sensitive topics with students in order to understand Indigenous peoples’ experiences of systemic marginalization and forced assimilation. There are many resources available for all ages.