Quick answer: A virtual Truth and Reconciliation program can bring a live Indigenous keynote, facilitated discussion, Survivor speaker, cultural presentation, powwow dance performance or combined experience to employees, students and partners in multiple locations. Start by defining the audience and learning outcome, then confirm the guest’s scope and media permissions, accessibility services, moderation plan, platform capacity and technical rehearsal. For September 30, request availability early and consider surrounding dates or Truth and Reconciliation Week if the exact day is full.
Virtual delivery is not a lesser version of an in-person event. Used well, it can create one shared live experience for offices, campuses, classrooms and international teams that could not gather in the same room. It can also provide captions, interpretation, moderated questions and consistent production across locations.
Technology does not make a program respectful by itself. The people involved still decide what they will share, how they are introduced, which questions are appropriate and whether any part may be recorded or reused.
Content notice: This guide discusses programs about residential schools and their continuing effects. The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line provides 24-hour support to former residential school students, Survivors and their families at 1-866-925-4419.
What is a virtual Truth and Reconciliation program?
It is a live online learning or cultural program designed around Truth and Reconciliation, Orange Shirt Day, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation or an organization’s continuing responsibilities. Participants join through a webinar, meeting or streaming platform and experience the program in real time.
The format may be educational, reflective, cultural or a combination. It should not treat all Indigenous peoples as one group or ask one guest to represent every First Nations, Inuit and Métis experience. Introduce each person through their own Nation, community, role and knowledge as they describe it.
Virtual program formats available through Powwow Times
| Format | Best suited to | Planning considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Live keynote or speech | All-staff events, conferences, leadership gatherings and campuses | Audience context, learning goal, speaker scope, introduction, captions and questions |
| Facilitated presentation and discussion | Teams that need shared history, reflection and practical next steps | Moderator, group size, discussion boundaries, breakout-room purpose and follow-up |
| Survivor speaker | Trauma-aware learning that centres a willing Survivor’s voice | Consent, chosen topics, compensation, content notice, support, questions, recording limits and speaker care |
| Powwow dance performance with explanation | Programs connecting historical learning with living culture, artistry and resilience | Production quality, dance-space safety, introductions, cultural context, audio and performer media permissions |
| Combined presentation and performance | Organizations seeking both structured learning and a live cultural experience | A coherent run of show so the performance is not detached from its people and context |
| Panel or moderated conversation | Sector-specific, leadership or multi-perspective programs | Distinct participant roles, question design, time balance, accessibility and consent for promotion |
| Livestream of an in-person event | Conferences, community programs and hybrid events with a physical venue | Venue audio, cameras, connectivity, audience permissions, restricted moments, captions and archive terms |
Powwow singing may also be considered when the singers approve the virtual setting, audience, audio plan and any recording or reuse. Do not assume that permission to hear a song live includes permission to record, edit or circulate it.
Need a live virtual September 30 program?
Send Powwow Times your preferred date and time, participant locations, audience size, organization type, learning goal, requested format, accessibility needs and decision deadline. We can discuss a live keynote, presentation, discussion, powwow performance or combined digital experience.
Start with the audience and outcome
“We need something for September 30” is a date, not a program brief. Answer these questions before requesting a proposal:
- Who will attend: employees, leaders, students, educators, clients, public servants or community partners?
- Where are participants located and which time zones must be included?
- What do they already know about Orange Shirt Day, residential schools and reconciliation?
- What should participants understand, discuss or do differently afterward?
- Is this a one-time event or part of a year-round learning plan?
- Which organizational responsibilities, relationships or decisions connect to the learning?
A school presentation for younger students should not use the same content, pacing or questions as a corporate leadership session. A national all-staff event needs a different moderation and accessibility plan than a discussion with 25 participants.
Prepare a useful virtual-program brief
- organization and primary planning contact;
- preferred date, two alternatives and time zone;
- audience type, estimated live attendance and participant locations;
- program purpose and desired outcome;
- requested format and total time;
- platform and whether the organization or Powwow Times will host;
- captioning, interpretation and other accommodation requirements;
- moderation, Q&A and chat expectations;
- recording, replay, transcript, screenshot or social-clip requests;
- budget range, procurement process and decision date; and
- the person authorized to approve scope and changes.
Describe cultural content as requested until the speaker, performers or facilitator confirm it. Do not promote a named person, Survivor perspective, song, teaching or performance component before agreement.
Build accessibility into the virtual event
The Government of Canada’s Digital Accessibility Toolkit identifies common virtual-event barriers including unreliable captions, speakers talking over one another, rapid delivery that interpreters cannot follow, poor microphone placement and inaccessible materials. Address these in the initial scope rather than adding accommodations after registration.
- Ask participants about accommodation needs early and explain how to request support.
- Use accurate live captions appropriate to the event; automated captions may need human review or a professional service.
- Provide sign-language or spoken-language interpretation when required and give interpreters preparation materials.
- Share accessible agendas, speaker information and participant materials before the event.
- Use strong microphones, clear lighting and camera framing that supports lip reading.
- Ask speakers and moderators to identify themselves before speaking and avoid talking over one another.
- Offer a phone or low-bandwidth joining option where practical.
- Plan breaks for longer programs and finish on time.
Use trauma-aware hosting and moderation
A virtual format can make it easy to forget that participants and guests are joining from homes, offices and classrooms with different experiences and support around them. When a session addresses residential schools, forced family separation, abuse or continuing harms:
- provide a clear content notice before registration and again at the beginning;
- share the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line and other appropriate support information;
- allow participants to step away without explanation;
- do not require cameras, public reflection or personal disclosure;
- do not ask Indigenous participants to educate the group or speak for their families and communities;
- moderate chat and questions rather than sending every comment directly to the guest;
- avoid questions asking a Survivor to recount additional trauma for the audience; and
- confirm how the guest wants difficult, personal or inappropriate questions handled.
“Safe space” should not be promised as a guarantee. Hosts can create clearer boundaries, support choices and respond responsibly when harm occurs.
Decide how questions will work
Live questions are valuable when the format supports them. Choose one approach:
- Moderated Q&A: Participants submit questions and a moderator selects, combines or redirects them.
- Pre-submitted questions: Useful for large audiences, schools or sensitive topics.
- Facilitated discussion: A smaller group responds to prompts within agreed boundaries.
- Chat disabled: Appropriate when moderation capacity is limited or the guest prefers a focused presentation.
Tell participants what will happen to unanswered questions. A resource list, later learning session or internal discussion may be more appropriate than asking one guest to resolve every organizational issue.
Recording and screenshots require separate permission
Joining a live webinar does not grant the host permission to record it. Ask separately about:
- full-session recording;
- private replay and how long it will remain available;
- transcripts and caption files;
- screenshots;
- edited clips;
- social media and public websites;
- partner or client distribution; and
- internal archives or future training.
A guest may approve one use and decline another. Some personal stories, songs, teachings or cultural content may be live-only. Put the approved uses, review process, storage period and removal process in writing.
Run a real technical rehearsal
Test with the people, platform and equipment that will be used live. A useful rehearsal checks:
- camera framing, lighting and speaker eye line;
- microphone level, echo, music and performance audio;
- captions and interpreter placement;
- slides, videos and screen-sharing permissions;
- moderator, host and guest controls;
- waiting room, participant microphones and chat settings;
- internet stability and a wired connection where available;
- backup audio, device and contact method;
- timing for introductions, content notice, questions and closing; and
- what the team will do if the connection drops.
A virtual powwow performance needs more than a standard webcam check. Music, singing, movement and multiple camera angles require audio and video production designed for the performance space. Explore Powwow Times’ live virtual powwow performance option for that specific format.
When should organizations book?
September 30 concentrates demand for Indigenous speakers, Survivors, performers, moderators, captioners and technical teams. Request the preferred time as early as practical, especially for a national audience or combined presentation and performance.
If September 30 is unavailable, consider:
- a date during Truth and Reconciliation Week;
- another September date;
- two smaller sessions serving different time zones;
- a live virtual program before or after the official date; or
- using September 30 to begin a year-round monthly learning program.
The value comes from the quality of the learning and the action that follows, not from forcing every participant and guest into the same hour.
Continue learning after the virtual event
End with a specific next step. Participants can use the official National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation learning programs, begin free weekly lessons through Foundational Knowledge, or learn through 52 Weeks of Cree.
Organizations should also identify a role-specific action: review a policy, improve a service, change procurement, support an Indigenous-led initiative, continue staff learning or strengthen a relationship. A learning event is a beginning or milestone, not evidence that reconciliation is complete.
Request a virtual Truth and Reconciliation program
Powwow Times is based in Sylvan Lake, Alberta and can deliver live digital programming to organizations across Canada and internationally. Options may include speeches, keynotes, facilitated discussions, Survivor speakers, powwow dance performances and combined programs, subject to the people involved and their availability, consent and preferred scope.
Include your preferred date, alternatives, time zone, participant locations, audience, approximate attendance, program goal, desired format, accessibility needs, media requests, budget range and decision deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Can a virtual Truth and Reconciliation program be delivered on September 30?
Yes, subject to speaker, performer and production availability. September 30 is a high-demand date, so provide alternative times or surrounding dates when possible.
Which platforms can be used?
The program can be scoped for the organization’s webinar or meeting platform, or another agreed delivery setup. Confirm participant capacity, host controls, captions, interpretation, recording settings and technical support before selecting the platform.
Can the program include a live powwow dance performance?
Yes. Powwow Times offers live digital powwow dance performances with cultural context. The scope should address performance space, audio, cameras, introductions and permissions.
Can we book a residential school Survivor speaker virtually?
A willing Survivor may participate virtually when available and when the program follows their chosen topics, boundaries, compensation, support needs, questions and media permissions. No Survivor should be promised before individual agreement.
Can employees watch a recording later?
Only when every relevant speaker and performer has approved that specific use. Live participation does not automatically include replay, transcript, screenshot, clip or archive rights.
How do we make the virtual program accessible?
Ask about accommodation needs early, provide accurate captions and interpretation where required, share accessible materials, use clear audio and lighting, moderate speakers and test the complete setup before the event.
What if September 30 is already full?
Ask about Truth and Reconciliation Week, another September date, multiple time-zone sessions or a year-round learning program. The official date remains September 30 even when an organization’s learning event is scheduled nearby.
