On Friday, September 30, we commemorate the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
This federal statutory holiday was created to "[honour] the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities" (Government of Canada).
Today, students were invited to wear orange. The donations they bring in will go towards the Aboriginal Mother Centre Society.
Take a minute to watch the video prepared by ND's Care Collective, which explains the grassroots origins of Orange Shirt Day, connects our participation to the CISVA theme of Seeking Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation, and provides some guidance for further action.
A Special Visit
Yesterday, Ms. Shin took her English First Peoples 12 class to the Museum of Anthropology out at UBC where they participated in one of the Indigenous education programs on offer.
English First Peoples 12 is being offered at Notre Dame for the first time this year. The course provides students opportunities to explore the values, stories, and lived realities of Indigenous people in Canada through a broad range of texts, exclusively written and created by Indigenous authors and artists.
Ms. Shin has a Master of Arts degree in English (SFU), with a special focus on Indigenous literature.