For his dedication to helping Canadians acknowledge and transcend their history, Robert Joseph is set to be awarded an Officer of the Order of Canada Thursday at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ont.
Governor General Julie Payette praised the hereditary chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation, calling him: “a passionate champion of healing,” as well as an eloquent, respected voice in “opening dialogue and renewing relationships,” in a press release announcing the award.
Joseph, a residential school survivor who lives in the X̱wemelch'stn reserve in West Vancouver, founded Reconciliation Canada in an attempt to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities together.
Joseph also founded the Walk for Reconciliation, an event that aims to unite diverse Canadians in an effort to foster a more humane nation. The all-day event, which took place in 2013 and 2017, attracted thousands to a forum to discuss residential schools, the Chinese head tax, the Komagata Maru, as well as a vision for the future of Canada.
“Reconciliation is not just for Native people, it’s for all Canadians,” he explained in 2017. “What if nobody spoke in that fashion? We’d all be status quo, hating each other . . . No, we’ve got to speak up.”
Joseph was also recognized for serving as an honorary witness on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The motto of the order, which was been awarded to nearly 7,000 Canadians, is: desiderantes meliorem patriam, which translates as: they desire a better country.
