National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

U of T community commemorates Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

mattimar — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 15:32:22 +0000

U of T community commemorates Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

mattimar Mon, 09/30/2024 - 11:32

Cutline

Attendees wear orange shirts during a U of T tri-campus event, held at Hart House, to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (photo by Polina Teif)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Our Community

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Orange Shirt Day

Wesley Hall

Ziibiing

Subheadline

“Reconciliation cannot be an afterthought”

Shirley Cheechoo doesn’t want to be recognized as a residential school survivor, a term commonly used to describe Indigenous Peoples who were subjected to Canada’s horrific residential school system.

“We should be identified as residential school warriors,” said the Cree actor, artist, filmmaker and founder of Weengushk Film Institute.

“Calling us warriors, you empower us. You empower our children and you empower communities across the country.”

Shirley Cheechoo, Cree actor, artist, filmmaker and founder of Weengushk Film Institute, shared the horrors and abuse she endured in Canada’s residential school system (photo by Polina Teif)

Cheechoo delivered the keynote address at a University of Toronto event to commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The tri-campus event, held at Hart House on the St. George campus, was streamed live on YouTube.

She shared the horrors and abuse she endured after being kidnapped from her parents at age six and placed in a residential school. With a long-standing passion for working with young people, Cheechoo encouraged universities like U of T to partner with Indigenous leaders to fund and support Indigenous students and youth.

Jay-Daniel Baghbanan, a student at the Faculty of Music and vice-president of student life at the faculty’s undergraduate association, said “Reconciliation cannot be an afterthought” (photo by Polina Teif)

Benji Jacob, a fourth-year psychology student from U of T Mississauga, introduced Cheechoo at the event, while Jay-Daniel Baghbanan, a student at the Faculty of Music and vice-president of student life at the faculty’s undergraduate association, emphasized the critical nature of the work ahead.

“There are 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. U of T has 34 of their own published,” said Baghbanan. “Reconciliation cannot be an afterthought.”

Benji Jacob, a fourth-year psychology student from U of T Mississauga, was among the speakers at the event (photo by Polina Teif)

Attendees also heard remarks from several U of T leaders, including U of T President Meric Gertler and William Gough, acting vice-president of U of T and acting principal of U of T Scarborough.

President Gertler, for his part, said the U of T community is committed to advancing reconciliation across its three campuses, including by: expanding the presence of Indigenous students, staff, faculty and librarians; incorporating Indigenous content into U of T’s curriculum; supporting Indigenous research programs; and creating physical spaces that honour Indigenous Peoples’ tradition and histories.

Flags were lowered to half-mast across U of T’s three campuses on Sept. 30 for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is formally recognized across Canada.

U of T community members attend the ceremony in Hart House’s Great Hall while others tuned into the livestream (photo by Polina Teif)

Hart House Warden David Kim thanked U of T Mississauga student MJ Singleton for designing the orange shirts worn by many at the U of T event, which depicts a mother holding hands and walking forward with her two children beneath the words “Every child matters.”

After the ceremony, a sacred fire was held for U of T community members at the newly opened Ziibiing, an Indigenous landscape project near Hart House.

U of T President Meric Gertler and Chancellor Wes Hall deliver remarks to attendees in Hart House’s Great Hall (photo by Polina Teif)

Earlier this month, U of T Scarborough hosted a reflective walk for reconciliation from the U of T Scarborough flagpole to the Ma Moosh Ka Win Valley Trail. In addition, Orange Shirt Beading Workshops were held across the three campuses, while U of T Mississauga live-streamed the Hart House event in the Grand Hall at Maanjiwe nendamowinan.

In his closing remarks at Hart House, U of T Chancellor Wes Hall encouraged the audience to continue sharing their stories, no matter how difficult, to ensure we do not repeat the past.

U of T prepares to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:06:56 +0000

U of T prepares to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 09/27/2024 - 09:06

Cutline

The Survivors' Flag, raised at U of T Varsity Stadium on Sept. 20, will be lowered to half-mast on Sept. 30, when the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is observed across Canada (photo by Jill Clark)

Jelena Damjanovic

Melinda Mattos

Topic

Our Community

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Orange Shirt Day

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

The Survivors’ Flag, which honours Indigenous lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada, has been raised across the University of Toronto’s three campuses as the community prepares to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.

On the St. George campus, the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), in partnership with First Nations House and the U of T Office of Indigenous Initiatives, raised the Survivors’ Flag at Varsity Stadium earlier this month.

It will be lowered to half-mast on Sept. 30 when the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is formally recognized across Canada.

U of T Mississauga (photo by Julia Le)

Flags have also been raised at U of T Scarborough and U of T Mississauga.

“Recognizing the painful history of Canada’s residential school system, and the tragic consequences that are still being felt today, is a vital component of the reconciliation process,” said Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.

“It’s also a time for settlers to reflect on what they can do to strengthen relationships with Indigenous Peoples in order to build a better future together.”

The U of T community is invited to honour the experiences of residential school survivors by joining a tri-campus event being held in the Great Hall at Hart House on Sept. 30 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Participants will have the option to register to attend the event in person or register to watch the live-stream on YouTube.

The event will feature a keynote address by Shirley Cheechoo, Canadian Cree actor, artist, filmmaker and founder of Weengushk Film Institute, who will be introduced by Benji Jacob, a fourth-year psychology student from U of T Mississauga. There will also be a land acknowledgement by Jay-Daniel Baghbanan, a student at the Faculty of Music and vice-president of student life at the faculty’s undergraduate association, welcoming remarks from David Kim, warden of Hart House and remarks by U of T President Meric Gertler and William Gough, acting vice-president of U of T and acting principal of U of T Scarborough. U of T Chancellor Wes Hall will deliver closing remarks.

U of T Scarborough (photo by Harry Xu)

While wearing any orange shirt is a show of solidarity, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives has partnered with the U of T Bookstore on a limited supply of orange t-shirts that feature an award-winning design by MJ Singleton, an Ojibwe, two-spirit student from Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation who is studying at U of T Mississauga. All proceeds from the sale of the shirts will be directed to the Orange Shirt Society.

Members of the U of T community are also encouraged to use the Orange Shirt Day virtual background and profile icon, featuring Singleton's design.

U of T marks Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 19:58:33 +0000

U of T marks Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 09/29/2023 - 15:58

Cutline

Attendees wear orange shirts at a tri-campus event at Hart House ahead of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (photo by Polina Teif)

Adina Bresge

Topic

Our Community

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Subheadline

Events took place across the three campuses in advance of Sept. 30

The University of Toronto community came together to commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by honouring survivors of Canada’s residential school system, reflecting on its lasting impact on Indigenous communities and recommitting to reconciliation.

Attendees packed the Great Hall at Hart House for a tri-campus event Friday, with hundreds more tuning into a livestream – one of several events across the university’s three campuses in advance of Sept. 30.

The Hart House event included a panel discussion on the Indian Residential School Survivors’ Storybase, a project at U of T Libraries that aims to make the stories of residential school survivors more accessible by compiling accounts from across the internet into a single searchable resource.

From left: Angela Henshilwood, Desmond Wong, Mikayla Redden and Grant Hurley (photo by Polina Teif)

Mikayla Redden, information services and instruction librarian at New College Library, says storytelling was instrumental in shedding light on the horrors of the residential school system and she hopes the storybase can be a tool to help address its ongoing harms.

“Stories are a huge part of the reason that we know the truth, the courage of residential school survivors in telling their stories for decades – even in the face of disbelief and denial from the Canadian masses,” Redden said.

“They're the reason we're here today. They are the reason for this day. They're the reason for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and everything that resulted from it.”

From left: Ayeza Ahmad, Alexandra Gillespie, David Kim and Rose Patten (photo by David Lee)

Redden, who is a mixed-race woman of Anishinaabe and Anglo settler heritage, says library staff met last year to discuss ways they could go beyond reading lists to amplify the voices of residential school survivors, their families and communities.

They wanted the project to meet an educational need without “taking” from Indigenous Peoples by enlisting their labour or exacerbating intergenerational trauma, Redden said.

“Canadians of all ages, from all walks of life can access the storybase, and they can use these stories, to listen to more of the truth, and learn and unlearn,” Redden said. “Hopefully, they can take what they've learned, encourage others to do the same and turn the emotions that they are feeling … into an action. And that's what reconciliation is, it's an action.”

From left: Andrew Bomberry and John Croutch of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (photo by Polina Teif)

Redden was joined on the panel by Grant Hurley, Canadiana librarian at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, and Desmond Wong, outreach librarian at OISE Library, in a discussion moderated by Angela Henshilwood, head of the Engineering & Computer Science Library.

David Kim, warden of Hart House, emceed Friday’s commemoration, which also featured remarks by Alexandra Gillespie, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga.

Gillespie thanked U of T Mississauga student MJ Singleton for designing the orange shirts worn by many at the event, which shows a mother holding hands and walking forward with her two children beneath the words “Every child matters.”

U of T Chancellor Rose Patten described the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as “one of the most important days in the life of our community and our country.”

The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy building is lit up orange (photo by Steve Barratt)

“In so many ways, Canadians have only begun to take and show responsibility for this,” Patten said at the event. “And doing so requires an unfaltering commitment from all of us.”

After the event, First Nations House hosted a fire for Indigenous community members in the Earth Sciences Courtyard.

Also on Friday, Professor Kisha Supernant of the University of Alberta gave a talk at New College about her research using ground-penetrating radar to identify the sites of potential unmarked graves at former residential schools and her work with Indigenous communities to preserve the sites.

Meanwhile, at U of T Scarborough Campus Farm, footage of the Indigenous Garden was livestreamed from sunrise to sunset.

Earlier in the week, Orange Shirt Beading Workshops were held at the St. George, U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough campuses.

Flags will be lowered to half-mast across U of T’s three campuses on Sept. 29 ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is formally recognized across Canada on Sept. 30.

Members of the Indigenous U of T community in need of support can reach out to:

The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line (1-866-925-4419)

Students:

U of T Telus Help Student Support can be accessed 24-7.

Other mental health resources, programs and supports are available through the student mental health resource page.

Staff and faculty:

Employee and Family Assistance Program (1-800-663-1142)

Survivors' Flag raised on U of T's three campuses

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 13:23:39 +0000

Survivors' Flag raised on U of T's three campuses

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 09/25/2023 - 09:23

Cutline

The Survivors' Flag flies alongside the Varsity Blues and University of Toronto flags at Varsity Stadium on the St. George campus (photo by Jason Wang)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Our Community

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Orange Shirt Day

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Hart House

New College

U of T Libraries

Subheadline

U of T will mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with an event in advance of Sept. 30

As the University of Toronto community prepares to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Survivors’ Flag, which honours Indigenous lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada, has been raised on each of its three campuses.

On the St. George campus, the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), in partnership with First Nations House and the U of T Office of Indigenous Initiatives, raised the Survivors’ Flag at Varsity Stadium last week. It will be lowered to half-mast on Sept. 30 when the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is formally recognized across Canada.

Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, said the flag is an important sign of support and solidarity with Indigenous communities.

“Public commemoration of the painful history of Canada’s residential school system, whose tragic consequences continue to reverberate today, is a vital component of the reconciliation process,” said Kerr. “It’s also a time for settlers to reflect on taking action to strengthen relationships with Indigenous Peoples and build a better future together.

“I take this opportunity to invite all students, staff and faculty members of KPE to attend Truth and Reconciliation events where their schedule permits and to spend some time reflecting on their own efforts towards reconciliation.”

U of T will commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a tri-campus event on Sept. 29 in the Great Hall at Hart House that can be attended in person or watched via YouTube livestream. It will feature remarks by Alexandra Gillespie, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga, and U of T Chancellor Rose Patten.

Emceed by Hart House warden David Kim, the event includes a panel discussion on making residential school survivors' stories accessible at U of T libraries. The panel, moderated by Angela Henshilwood, head of the Engineering and Computer Science Library, features Grant Hurley, Canadiana librarian at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, Mikayla Redden, information services and Instruction librarian at New College Library, and Desmond Wong, outreach librarian, OISE Library.

“There is no way to quantify the trauma suffered by the victims and survivors of residential and day schools. Yet this trauma has been shared – as Phyllis Webstad did by recalling the childhood experience that gives Orange Shirt Day its name,” Kelly Hannah-Moffat, U of T’s vice-president of people strategy, equity and culture, said in a statement.

“I urge non-Indigenous members of the U of T community to seek out this and other survivors’ stories to gain greater knowledge, to foster deeper compassion, and to strengthen your resolve to engage in work that restores mutual respect and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.”