National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day
Posted on 10/05/2022
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day of mourning and remembrance for Indigenous people. Students and staff at Wyn Wood marked the day by reflecting and honouring the survivors of the residential schooling system by participating in activities throughout the day.
The day began with a special opening and land acknowledgement. Following the opening, Kyrstin Dumont, a Kitigan Zibi Algonquin Anishinaabekwe Activist, advocate and educator, advocate and educator, smudged the school and explained the purpose and meaning of smudging, followed by a healing circle.
Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to learn about the Calls to Action developed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and create their own orange button based on the Calls to Action.
The day was concluded with a student-led ceremony reflecting and honouring the survivors of the residential schooling system. Students and staff researched individual survivors and created a symbol to be placed on the Tree of Healing. Students and staff took turns reading the names and stories of each survivor before placing the symbol onto the tree.
The day was a solemn opportunity for students and staff to learn, reflect, and recognized the inter-generational impacts of residential schools on the Indigenous peoples of Canada.