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OVA Statement on National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

By Ontario Volleyball Association, 09/30/22, 9:45AM EDT

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The Government of Canada has recognized September 30 as the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. This day provides an opportunity for all Canadians to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools. This may present itself as a day of quiet reflection or participation in a community event.

As part of our commitment to the 94 Call of Action Report, the OVA has engaged the consultancy group Korn Ferry to conduct a Maturity Map of our DEI efforts, along with focus groups and a membership wide survey between October 2022 - June 2023.

The intent of this study is to identify the gaps and develop action-based outcomes to best inform how our member organizations, community and our programming at the OVA can best be leveraged for reconciliation and to fairly serve all BIPOC, LGBTQ2S+ and other minority populations. It is our responsibility as a provincial sport organization to integrate and advocate for actions towards decolonization in our sector and remove barriers of entry to the sport of volleyball for all Ontarians.

In addition, we remind and encourage all our clubs, committees and event hosts of their commitment to recite the OVA’s Land Acknowledgement at the start of your events, meetings and ceremonies.

Ontario Volleyball Land Acknowledgement

The Ontario Volleyball Association would like to acknowledge that we are operating on aboriginal land that has been inhabited by Indigenous peoples from the beginning.

As settlers, we're grateful for the opportunity to meet here and we thank all the generations of people who have taken care of this land - for thousands of years.

Long before today, as we gather here, there have been aboriginal peoples who have been the stewards of this place.

In particular, we wish to acknowledge the Ancestral Traditional Territories of the Ojibway, the Anishinaabe and, in particular, the Mississaugas of the New Credit whose territory we are gathering on today. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.

We recognize and deeply appreciate their historic connection to this place. We also recognize the contributions of Métis, Inuit, and other Indigenous peoples have made, both in shaping and strengthening this community in particular, and our province and country as a whole.

As settlers, this recognition of the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples must also be clearly and overtly connected to our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our communities and within the reach of our sport. In particular, to bring justice for murdered and missing indigenous women, girls and children across our country and to assist in overcoming the lasting effects of the residential school system.”