Montreal teen seeking Indigenous participants for program furthering reconciliation

By Sam Laskaris

MONTREAL – A Montreal teenager is doing her part to further reconciliation.

This past fall, Anne Lin Arghirescu, a first-year student at Marianopolis College in Montreal, participated in a program called Circles For Reconciliation offered by a Winnipeg-based organization.

The Circles, which are held over a 10-week period, feature five Indigenous people and five non-Indigenous people.

A pair of facilitators (one is Indigenous and the other is non-Indigenous) are responsible for mediating the weekly discussions, which are geared towards fostering reconciliation and creating respectful relationships.

Lin Arghirescu, 16, enjoyed her experience with the Circles so much that she is now helping to organize other ones. Sessions are held virtually via Zoom.

“I’m hoping more people get a better history of Indigenous populations in Canada and historical events that curriculums do not teach us about,” she said.

Circles that were held during the fall and winter sessions included students from the five English-speaking CEGEPs, including Marianopolis College, in Quebec.

CEGEPs are Quebec-based post-secondary schools in Quebec that students from the province typically enroll in before they head to university.

The goal is to have another session start in early April.

Lin Arghirescu added professors and staff members from her college have expressed interest in the Circles. As a result, she’s hoping a faculty and staff Circle will also be held this spring.

Lin Arghirescu is enrolled in the two-year Social Science program at Marianopolis College.

She’s hoping to help create a number of Circles, including participants from across the country, during her two CEGEP years. Lin Arghierescu said she is planning to further her education, possibly enrolling in an international relations or diplomacy program, preferably at Montreal’s McGill University.

For now, Lin Arghirescu is especially keen to hear from Indigenous people from across the country who would be interested in taking part in the Circles For Reconciliation.

“Because of the unbalance in demographics, we have more difficulty recruiting Indigenous participants for the Circles,” said Lin Arghirescu, who was born in Montreal and has Estonian ancestry through her mother and Taiwanese ancestry from her father.

Lin Arghirescu is confident some press coverage of the Circles mentioning organizers are seeking individuals to take part will assist her cause.

“I am sure this would help us recruit Indigenous participants who would be interested in taking part in our Circle discussions,” she said. “The participants don’t have to be students and can come from anywhere in Canada.”

Those who do agree to take part must commit to the entire 10-week program. Each weekly session can last up to about 90 minutes.

There is no cost for those interested in taking part in the Circles.

Sessions include readings about Indigenous contributions to Canada. Participants also share stories and their experiences.

Lin Arghirescu said it’s important to have the same program participants week after week in the same Circle.

“It’s nice to have this continuity,” she said.

Several in-person Circles, where participants actually sit in a circle during their sessions, have been postponed during the past year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, several active and upcoming Circles are being held virtually.

More information about the Circles is available at: https://circlesforreconciliation.ca/