The University of Winnipeg recently welcomed Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon on campus, where she attended the Governor General’s History Symposium: Fostering Understanding and Empathy Through Inclusive History, and delivered introductory remarks.
Organized by Canada’s National History Society, in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, the symposium featured seven panellists, including UWinnipeg’s Dr. Laura Forsythe.
The other panellists came from a diversity of fields in history and education, with the purpose to make connections, broaden perspectives, and spark ideas for collaboration in advancing more inclusive approaches to history.
Dr. Laura Forsythe
Framed around three questions: How does history help us live a good life? What does inclusive history look like to you? What’s the most important thing we can to do realize a more inclusive history in our classrooms and communities?; they explored how to move forward embracing the many voices in our history that helped create our nation’s stories.
The symposium helped lay the groundwork for a stronger more understanding Canada that has an inclusive and difficult history to be taught in schools and universities.
As noted in the purpose of the symposium, Canada is a diverse country, shaped by the traditions, languages, and stories of its people. Each individual carries the lessons of our ancestors, connections to the land, and perspectives of the events that have shaped our individual and collective identities.
However, as a country, we do not include all the voices that contribute to our shared history, which needs to be addressed.
The goal is to have an inclusive history that honours the wisdom of our elders, respects oral traditions, fosters a sense of belonging, and makes room for the diverse perspectives that have long been overlooked. A more inclusive history brings a broader context and understanding of our history and our truths.
This event was simultaneously translated in Canada’s official languages and was and open to community members by invitation from Canada’s History Society.
