The Halton District School Board (HDSB) will be honouring the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
It says there will be a number of acknowledgments and learning opportunities, as well as the lowering of the Canadian flag at all schools and Board offices.
September 30th has traditionally been Orange Shirt Day. It was inspired by the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad. Phyllis was a student at St. Joseph Mission Residential School in Williams Lake, British Columbia. Orange Shirt Day is inspired by her experience on her first day at a residential school.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was announced earlier in the summer and it will be used to honour First Nations, Inuit and Métis residential school survivors, their families and communities, and to ensure that public commemoration of their history and the legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.
“As we recognize this day, we must ensure that we go beyond wearing orange shirts,” says Rob Eatough, Superintendent of Education with the HDSB. “Creating meaningful learning opportunities that centre Indigenous voices, focus on Indigenous rights, contributions, histories, truths and contemporary realities that are rooted in colonization helps create a more complete picture of the historical truths and realities of First Nations, Métis and Inuit. We all play a part in upholding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action.”
A big part of truth and reconciliation has been making sure the subject matters are shared in schools. The HDSB says that in upholding their responsibility to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action #62 and #63, resources have been shared with staff leading up to September 30th and will be a part of ongoing learning throughout the school year.
