The proceeds from orange shirt sales at the Cougars campus store go to the MRU Indigenous Students Fund. (Jennelle Lew, CMRU.ca)
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation lands on Sept. 30 each year. Canadians often wear wear orange shirts on this day. It’s important to understand the reason behind this act. Orange shirts symbolize the loss of freedom, culture, and self-esteem that Indigenous children experienced in residential schools. More than 150,000 Indigenous children attended these schools. Many of them even lost their lives in residential schools over a period of 150 years.
94 Calls to Action
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released 94 Calls to Action in 2015. These calls to action were created to recognize Canada’s involvement in erasing Indigenous culture. They are also meant to create opportunities for Indigenous people to prosper in society. Fourteen calls to action have been completed in the 10 years since they were released. These calls to actions are directed towards the Canadian governments at all levels, churches, corporations, and news networks. University students can also work towards reconciliation within their own communities.
The road to reconciliation
There are several ways to support Indigenous culture and reconciliation on your own:
- Learn more about the long-lasting effects of residential schools
- Support Indigenous artists and small businesses
- Talk about Indigenous history with others
- Create spaces to celebrate First Nations, Metis, and Inuit culture
All Canadians can take part towards reconciliation. Sept. 30 may be National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, but working to repair the damage to Indigenous communities can be done year-round.
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