Registration for this series is now closed. For more information about future sessions of Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization, reach out via our contact page. 

The September 2023 series of Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is hosted by Metro Vancouver Alliance, the IAF Northwest Affiliate based in and around the city of Vancouver in British Columbia. Members of Metro Vancouver Alliance and Greater Victoria Acting Together are encouraged to register below. 

If your organization is not a member of Metro Vancouver Alliance or Greater Victoria Acting Together (but you live in those areas) you can email [email protected] with your interest and then sign up below. The participation fee for non-members is $250. 

This eight session facilitation and ongoing organizing process is designed for labor, community, and faith organizations that are a part of Metro Vancouver Alliance and Greater Victoria Acting Together. You along with others from your organization are invited to join in reflection and learning around the truth of colonization and its ongoing impact in the region where we live. Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is an initiative of the IAF Northwest.

Program Notes:

• Please confirm that you are able to attend all of the first five sessions before registering, as each session builds on the learnings of the previous evening.
• This is a training series that seeks to center the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples, the work that is ongoing in our communities and the emotional work that comes from this. Please be prepared to engage in this emotional labor and reflection.
• Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is more than the training sessions listed here, it is a community organizing initiative. The goal is to take the learning and reflection from these sessions and turn them into long-term community organizing efforts towards upholding native sovereignty and real solidarity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. 

Introductory Briefings:

There are two options to attend an introductory briefing. You must attend one of the briefings in order to participate in the series: 

Introductory Briefing 1:
Tuesday, September 12th 3:00-3:30pm PST


Introductory Briefing 2:
Thursday, September 14th 6:00-6:30pm PST

First Five Sessions:

Tuesday and Thursday Evenings

September 19, 21, 26, 28 and October 3: 6:00-8:00PM PST

Last Three Sessions:

The required follow-up sessions will include a mix of virtual and in-person meetings. The first will be participation in a drum circle with MVA member organization Urban Aboriginal Ministry during the month of November. More information on the options to sign up for a time for this session will be sent after you have registered for Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization. 

More informations will be sent about the additional follow-up sessions which will include a visit to the Musqueam Cultural Centre in mid-January. Please be on the look-out for this additional information. 

All of the first five sessions will be held over Zoom. Please contact us if you have any accessibility needs to join the sessions.