Orange Shirt Day – September 30
Click here to find Orange Shirt Day resources for students and families.
At HWDSB, we respect the longstanding relationships with the neighbouring and host nations, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Six Nations of the Grand River. We also acknowledge the vibrant and diverse urban Indigenous community in Hamilton.
Monday, September 30 is Orange Shirt Day, which is also known as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Please take steps to proceed with compassion and respect, as this day can hold different meanings amongst Indigenous students, staff and families.
We encourage HWDSB students and staff to wear orange to school and work on Monday, September 30 to honour survivors of Residential Schools and to centre the importance of intergenerational healing and wellness. Students and staff can also participate by wearing one of the Orange Shirt Day stickers sent to all schools.
If you are unfamiliar with the story of Phyllis Webstad, Indian Residential School Survivor of St. Joseph Mission (SJM) Residential School in British Columbia, and why we wear orange shirts, please click here.
The five Pillars of the Indigenous Education Circle Strategic Action Plan (IECSAP) – Revillagize, Reclaim, Renew, Restore and Celebrate – create the opportunity to have collective voices raised to honour education, commemoration and healing/wellness. Our NEW Indigenous Education Policy encourages relational accountability and shared responsibilities towards Reinforcing Indigenous Educational Wellness and Reconciliation.
Orange Shirt Day is a chance for us to become more familiar with residential schools as one form of cultural genocide that displaced many from ancestral homelands and deprived them of their first language and knowledge systems. We have a responsibility to learn, engage and participate. The burden of this day, and of Reconciliation in general, should not be carried by members of local Indigenous communities.
The HWDSB community is encouraged to think about the meaning of Truth and Reconciliation and how we are implicated in enacting meaningful change in a restorative education system. A wide range of learning and resources can also be accessed through the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
In the greater Hamilton community on September 27 and 28, we highlight the 3rd Annual Truth and Reconciliation Gathering, E Yeti ya da nohs da:t Ogwak sa dah, “Lifting Up Our Children” planned by the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre (HRIC) at the Gage Park Bandshell.
We encourage you to get involved in Reconciliation events happening near you, and, to deepen your own learning so that you may take action toward Reconciliation. Please see the list of resources below to find ways you can get engaged and involved this Orange Shirt Day and beyond.
In friendship,
Jolene John, Indigenous Education Lead and Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini, Director of Education
Orange Shirt Day Resources for Students and Families
Access student and family resources on the HWDSB website, which include:
- Indigenous Education Circle Strategic Action Plan (IECSAP)
- Indigenous Education Policy
- Reinforcing Indigenous Educational Wellness and Reconciliation: HWDSB Multi-Year Strategic Plan
- Orange Shirt Day website
- Orange Shirt Day resource created by HWDSB’s Indigenous Education Team, which has more details including a video from Sherlene Bomberry, a Residential School Survivor.
- Woodland Cultural Centre – learn more about the Mohawk Institute Residential School, established in 1828 near Brantford. One of the oldest Residential Schools in Canada.
- Legacy of Hope – national Indigenous charitable organization with the mandate to educate and create awareness and understanding about the Residential School System.
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
- Calls to Action Accountability: A 2023 Status Update on Reconciliation, Yellowhead Institute
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF
- Indigenous Education Policy
Well-Being Resources and Supports
- National Indian Residential School Crisis Line available 24 hours a day: 1-866-925-4419
- National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
- The Missing Children Project
- Tip Sheet for Adults Supporting Challenging Conversations
- Community Supports and Mental Health Resources for Students and Families
Updated on Friday, September 27, 2024.