National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Events at Vanier

This year, September 30th, 2021, formerly known as Orange Shirt Day, marks the first official National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. This federal holiday marks an important chapter in Canadian history and commemorates all those who attended residential schools, many of whom did not survive, and acknowledges the legacy of this genocide on Indigenous communities and families. Throughout the Week for Truth and Reconciliation (September 27 to October 1) there will be online events organized by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: https://nctr.ca/education/trw/.

Vanier College will mark this day on Wednesday, September 29, but there are other relevant activities throughout the month.

On Thursday, September 23 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, there will be a KAIROS Blanket Exercise with Nina Segalowitz (Native Friendship Centre of Montreal). Those who would like to participate (entire session only) should contact Alyson Jones: jonesa@vanier.college.

Please join in on Wednesday, September 29 during UB (from 12:30 to 2:15 pm). We will gather outside near the back of the D building (inside a tent if it is raining). Diane Labelle from the First Nations School Council in Kahnawá:ke and Elder Sedalia Kawennotas Fazio, Kanien’kehá:ka from Kahnawá:ke, will present their thoughts on the ongoing impacts of the residential school system and the recent recovery of the bodies of children who died at these schools. All members of the Vanier community are welcome. Please wear an orange shirt if you can. To respect current health regulations, vaccine passports will be required. Please come prepared with your QR code and a piece of ID.

On Thursday, September 30, members of the Vanier community are asked to wear orange if they can. People who are free of commitments that day are also encouraged to support the urban Indigenous community in Tiohtia:ke/Mooniyang (Montreal) at the Every Child Matters event starting at Place du Canada (Peel and René Levesque) at 1 pm.