Sept. 30 is Orange Shirt Day – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

On Friday Sept. 30, the Dawson community will observe Orange Shirt Day – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

As a young child at a residential school in 1973, Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwepemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation in British Columbia, was wearing a brand-new orange shirt on her first day of school. It was taken from her by the school, and she never saw it again. Webstad founded Orange Shirt Day in 2013 to mark her experience as a survivor of the residential school system. The day of commemoration was quickly adopted by Indigenous communities and the Assembly of First Nations. In 2021, the federal government declared September 30th the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

This day is intended to recognize and commemorate the children who died in these institutions and those who survived. With the ongoing recovery of Indigenous children from mass graves near a number of former residential schools in the past year, this will be a day of mourning for Indigenous communities across the country and a day of reflection for all.

Schedule of Activities

Dawson will host several events leading up to, and in observance of September 30, the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. A dedicated team of students and employees, in collaboration with the Dawson Indigenous Community Table is planning these events with the goal of providing learning opportunities and raising awareness about Orange Shirt Day and decolonization.

The evolving schedule of activities can be found on the Orange Shirt Day page of the CLL website: https://www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/campus-life-leadership/orange-t-shirt-day-events/. Check back often for the latest information!

The Blanket Exercise

The Blanket exercise, created by Indigenous educators from KAIROS Canada, is an interactive activity which brings a group through the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. It enables an active reflection of our own history as well as our obligations as settlers within that history. It can be a truly transformative experience. This activity can work effectively within the context of a classroom with students, as well as a department (faculty or other areas of service). To book a Blanket Exercise for your students please contact Diana Rice, drice@dawsoncollege.qc.ca

Recommended Resources

· Dawson College Faculty Hub: Decolonizing & Indigenizing
· The Orange Path Resources for Educators
· CBC Explains: Your Questions answered on Residential Schools
· CBC Podcast: Kuper Island (8 part series on the Kuper Island Residential School); CBC
Podcast: The Secret Life of Canada: The Indian Act; CBC Podcast: The Secret Life of Canada: The Boy in the Picture
· University of British Columbia, Teaching & Learning Resources

Want to do more?

On Sept. 30 there will once again be a March sponsored by the Native Women’s Shelter and Resilience Montreal. Details will be available on the Orange Shirt Day events page (CLL website) as we get closer to the date.

We encourage everyone to take part in this meaningful action!