This year, the City of Burlington is observing the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Sept. 30, as a holiday.
This day is to honour the Indigenous survivors of residential schools and their families and communities, as well as the Indigenous children who did not survive, and to reflect on the continued impact of the cultural genocide experienced by Indigenous people.
September 30 was first known as Orange Shirt Day, in honour of the experiences of Phyllis Webstad, a survivor of the residential school system who recalled having her new orange shirt taken from her on her first day. Practiced since 2013, people wear orange shirts on Sept. 30 to remember, reflect, and foster discussion on the Indigenous experience and the path forward for the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
The federal government officially declared Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a statutory holiday in June 2021. This action fulfills one of the action steps recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This year, the City of Burlington will close its administration buildings and there will be activities taking place at Spencer Smith Park to honour the day.
There will be a reflective walk taking place at 4 p.m., from the pier to the lift bridge lighthouse, with a ceremony at the lighthouse before participants walk back to Spencer Smith Park. If you would like to join in, consider wearing an orange shirt and meet the group at the pier. Local Indigenous people and support groups will have displays and/or ceremonial gatherings at Spencer Smith Park between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
If you cannot make it down to Spencer Smith Park, Cogeco’s YourTV is presenting “programming that features the culture, history, and perspectives of Indigenous peoples in our communities” all day, including the documentaries Cultural Mindfulness, We Are Still Here, Wawahte: Residential School Survivors, and Beyond Orange Shirt Day. The schedule for YourTV Burlington/Oakville can be found here: https://www.yourtv.tv/burlington-oakville/schedule.
In a press release from Cogeco, John Sanfilippo, community member and director of Wawahte, said “I’m very grateful that YourTV is presenting Wawahte, and hopeful that these stories will find a new audience. Wawahte was originally written by Kingston author Bob Wells in 2012. At the time, it seemed few people were aware of Canada’s residential school system, and even fewer were willing to fully acknowledge it. Since then, we’ve seen a massive shift in Canada’s willingness to acknowledge the darkness of its past as well as its present. We hope that this presentation of Wawahte will serve as a tool of education and healing for all who see it.”
If you’re out and about, listen in to the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund’s A Day to Listen, radio programming on local radio stations from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to amplify Indigenous voices and stories through the theme “Messages of Hope.” These stories will centre on one of four areas: cultural reclamation; language resurgence; art practice; and land-based learning narratives. Tune in at Y108 (107.9), Flow 93.5, Boom 97.3, Indie88 (88.1), 98.1 CHFI, 680 News, KISS 92.5 or other nearby stations (for the full list, see downiewenjack.ca).
