The Building Reconciliation Forum advances the work of universities in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
The first Building Reconciliation Forum was hosted in 2015, in part as a response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. Since, the forum has been hosted by different universities across the country to meaningfully engage with local communities and facilitate conversations about strengthening Indigenous education, building Indigenous leadership capacity, advancing Indigenous research and promoting Indigenous governance at universities.
The Forum actively engages participants in workshops, presentations and conversations centered around reconciliation within post-secondary education. This annual event brings together university presidents and administrators, Indigenous faculty and community leaders, government decision makers, researchers and students to share ideas and, ultimately, bolster Indigenous education and reconciliation efforts on Canadian university campuses.
Passage of ceremonial items
A significant and meaningful moment at the start of each Building Reconciliation Forum involves the passage of ceremonial items from one Forum host to the next. Once received, the ceremonial item remains with the host university until the next Building Reconciliation Forum. The most recent host university then offers a new item to be presented at the next Building Reconciliation Forum.
Forum reports
Responsibility as Reconciliation: Relational Accountability
From May 14 to 15, the 2025 National Building Reconciliation Forum was jointly hosted by the University of Regina and First Nations University of Canada. View the 2025 report.
Indigenous Education and Mapping Out Institutional Spaces
The 2024 National Building Reconciliation Forum was held at Laurentian University from June 25 to 27. View the 2024 report.
Education for Reconciliation: Rebuilding Stronger and with Intentionality
Hosted in Western University’s Wampum Learning Lodge, the 2023 Building Reconciliation Forum took place from June 27 to 28, 2023. View the 2023 report.
Falling into step with First Peoples students
The 2021 Building Reconciliation Forum took place from September 21 to 23, 2021, virtually hosted by the Université du Québec network and the Université Laval. View the 2021 report.
Working Together to Advance Healing & Reconciliation
The 2019 Building Reconciliation Forum was jointly hosted by Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig, Nipissing University, Cape Breton University, the University of Northern British Columbia and Algoma University from October 9 to 10, 2019. View the 2019 report.
Ts’its’u’ watul tseep: Helping One Another
On February 15 and 16, 2018, the University of Victoria hosted the Building Truth and Reconciliation Forum at the Songhees Wellness Centre in Esaquimalt and on the UVIC campus. View the 2018 report.
1st Annual Building Reconciliation Forum
The first Building Reconciliation Forum was held at the University of Saskatchewan on November 18 and 19, 2015. View the 2015 report.
