Year-long engagement with virtual reality film This Is Not a Ceremony gives JIBC employees eyewitness view of systemic racism against Indigenous people
A couple of years ago, the Justice Institute of British Columbia’s (JIBC’s) Centre for Teaching, Learning & Innovation (CTLI) and Office of Indigenization began offering viewings of the film, This Is Not a Ceremony, through virtual reality (VR) headsets to JIBC staff and faculty.
The film by Niitsitapi writer-director Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon) recounts the lived experiences of two Indigenous men: one who experienced abuse as a child in care, and another who died in an emergency room after waiting hours for medical attention.
JIBC President and CEO Len Goerke was introduced to the film at one such viewing. The experience had an immediate emotional impact.
“It was a lot of sadness, powerlessness. Just sombreness.”
The film covers sensitive subject matter. And after decades as a police officer, none of it was entirely new to Goerke.
“But this was a powerful piece of storytelling, and the truths hit hard. Much more so than you might get out of reading it in a history book,” he said. “And of course, the compelling part of it is understanding that the systemic discrimination faced by Indigenous people in this film are still happening every day in our society.”
A Year of Witnessing launched
Goerke’s experience with the film led to conversations with JIBC’s CTLI, Office of Indigenization and Brand, Communications & Engagement teams about how this piece of immersive learning could be brought to employees across the institute.
The result was A Year of Witnessing. Launched in September 2025 just before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the year-long initiative gave JIBC employees the opportunity to experience the film, reflect on what they had witnessed and spend time in conversation with JIBC Elders-in-Residence.
The initiative intentionally incorporated the concept of witnessing, drawing on Indigenous traditions in which being a witness carries responsibilities beyond simply seeing or hearing what has taken place.
Raising awareness central to JIBC’s mandate
There are many Canadians who simply aren’t aware of the experiences of Indigenous Peoples in Canada – that includes both those born outside the country and those who have lived here all their lives, Goerke said.
As JIBC’s President and CEO, Goerke saw a particular responsibility for JIBC to engage with these Truths*.
“We educate and train people for public safety professions and people in these roles have been part of the history of systemic racism against Indigenous Peoples – whether it’s through enforcing discriminatory laws or allowing racist stereotypes to affect how they do their jobs,” he said.
“There's still all of these inequities that are percolating along, and I think the more that the institution reflects on the reality, the more likely we are to change it, the more likely that the people we're training are going to do things differently than the generations before them did.”
Indigenous Elders provided support and guidance
JIBC Elder-in-Residence Caroline Buckshot led most of the debriefing conversations with employees after they viewed This Is Not a Ceremony. In many ways, it was when the headsets came off that the real work of witnessing began. Elder Buckshot helped employees reflect on what they had seen, what it meant and what they would carry forward from the experience.
“There was a lot of tears. There was a lot of emotions, and a lot of the comments were, ‘I knew about it, but I didn't realize it was this serious,’” Elder Buckshot recalled. “The other thing, people that were immigrants to Canada, they had no idea this was part of Canada's history. So the impact on them was huge.”
Next step for witnesses to the Truth is to share it
For Elder Buckshot, the key element of witnessing is to share what has been learned.
“When we finished, I would brush them down with an eagle wing and remind them that sharing a story was a big part of what they experienced here. That's what most storytelling is all about. It's not about keeping the story, it's about sharing it.”
Goerke has been heartened by the response from JIBC employees – more than 130 staff and faculty participated from all academic program areas and central services. What’s more, several program areas are now exploring how the film and the A Year of Witnessing concept could be incorporated into their curriculums.
As A Year of Witnessing has come to an end, Goerke hopes employees see the experience as a beginning.
“When it comes to Reconciliation, the first step is to learn about the mistakes of the past. The Truth,” Goerke said. “The next step is to decide, what am I going to do about it? How do we become part of a better tomorrow? That starts with sharing what you have witnessed with others. Then we move forward from there. Together.”
For more information on JIBC’s A Year of Witnessing initiative, contact communications@jibc.ca.
* “Truth” is sometimes capitalized in the context of Truth and Reconciliation to reflect the significance of acknowledging the experiences and truths of Indigenous Peoples and the ongoing impacts of colonialism. Learn more through the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.