KPE Honours National Truth and Reconciliation Day

29/09/2021

On September 30, Canadians will be marking the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to honour and reflect upon the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities, as well as a time for settlers to reflect on taking action to strengthen relationships with Indigenous peoples and build a better future together. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

As members of an educational institution, our efforts to affirm and respect Indigenous peoples and their rights are particularly important as education, through residential schools, contributed to the intergenerational traumas experienced by Indigenous peoples. 

In past years, the day has been marked as Orange Shirt Day, which is an Indigenous-led commemorative day that honours the children who survived Residential Schools and remembers those who did not. This day relates to the experience of six year-old, Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation, who wore a new orange shirt on her first day of school, only to have the shirt taken from her and replaced with a uniform. The Orange Shirt is now a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom, and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations. Webstad published a book about her experience called The Orange Shirt Story. At the core of the book is the message that every child matters. 

The University of Toronto is planning a number of events to commemorate the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. These include a virtual event on September 30 hosted by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, Indigenous Student Services and Hart House featuring a video about Webstad and a talk by the award-winning Indigenous author, teacher, and poet, Lee Maracle. 

In the spirit of reconciliation, I encourage all students, staff and faculty members of KPE to wear orange on September 30, to raise awareness of the tragic legacy of residential schools, and to honour the thousands of survivors. While classes will continue as planned tomorrow, you are encouraged to attend Truth and Reconciliation events where your schedule permits and to spend some time reflecting on your own efforts towards reconciliation. A selection of resources and events are listed below:
 

Resources

Participate
Attend Indigenous cultural events open to the public, such as:

 
With best wishes,
 
Gretchen Kerr, PhD
Dean, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education