In Preparation For Orange Shirt Day

In Preparation For Orange Shirt Day

* Content warning* 

This post contains information about residential schools. For helplines and support, scroll to the end.

 

This Saturday is Orange Shirt Day, a day to mourn the suffering inflicted on Indigenous children in Residential Schools. In May 2021, 215 unmarked graves of children were recovered at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. This is not the only site where children’s remains were recovered – since then, thousands of unmarked graves have been reported across Canada. Residential School Survivors and their communities live with ongoing, generational trauma from these institutions and the colonial power structures we still live in. 

The day for Truth and Reconciliation is an opportunity for us to educate ourselves, reflect on the power structures of our society, and unpack how colonial ways of thinking are present in our worldviews. ANHBC neighbourhood houses are getting involved with several events, programs and conversations to honour Orange Shirt Day. There are many different ways to educate ourselves, on Orange Shirt Day and beyond. Think about the learning approaches that are most accessible to you, and be mindful of your self-care.

Join us in our journey of unlearning.

 

Talk with your friends, family and communities about what you know, what you will focus on learning more about and what decolonization means to you. Open up conversations about how your history has made you who you are today.

Attend events near you.

Learn the history of the land you live on.

Read, watch, listen and unlearn. Seek out creative and informative resources that can broaden your perspectives and honour Indigenous voices.

Take action. Read the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Know what has been promised as compensation to Indigenous Communities, and what has not been delivered. Contact figures of authority demanding these Calls to Action are met. Volunteer your time for different Indigenous community causes in your local area.

Donate, and support local Indigenous businesses.

 

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