syiyaya Reconciliation Movement

The syiyaya Reconciliation Movement is a local initiative welcoming all people living on the shishalh swiya (homelands) to come together to work together as one for healing of the intergenerational harm done to First People by Canada’s history of cultural genocide and abuse in residential schools. The word ‘syiyaya’ literally means “family and friends” in the shashishalhem, the language of the shishalh people.

This visionary movement is a joint initiative of Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents of the Sunshine Coast, offering a local response to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action while also calling for systemic change, provincially and nationally. Local actions involve collaborative projects that create a clear path to reconciliation through dialogue and relationships.