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Orange Shirt Day
September 30 @ 9:45 am - 12:30 pm
Orange Shirt Day is a day to commemorate the residential school experience, to witness and honour the healing journey of the survivors and their families, and to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. The Huntsville Public Library, the Friends of the Huntsville Library, Hope Arises Project and the Town of Huntsville are committed to keeping the reconciliation process alive. Come gather, march and stand in solidarity this September.
Schedule
- 9:45 AM – Gather at the Municipal Parking lot on High Street (behind Algonquin Theatre)
- 10:00 AM – March to River Mill Park
- 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM – Special Guest Speakers Jan Beaver, Joyce Jonathan Crone of Hope Arises Project Inc., and The Chippewa Travellers Drumming Group.
Guest Speaker, Jan Beaver
Jan Beaver is a storyteller, author of several children’s graphic novels and history books focused on Indigenous themes, educational consultant and a facilitator of the Way of the Circle programs at Northern Edge Algonquin.
Over the years, Jan has been a Water Scientist with the Ontario Ministry of Environment, a classroom teacher, an outdoor education teacher with the Toronto District School Board, a member of various Aboriginal Education Committees and a Senior Education Advisor for Ogemawahj Tribal Council in Rama.
Jan is a proud recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in recognition of her work in education. She is a member of the Alderville First Nation (Anishinaabe) and has dedicated most of her life to learning and teaching others about the history, traditions and cultures of First Nation peoples.
Drumming Performance with the Chippewa Travellers
The Chippewa Travellers are an Anishnaabeg family drum group from Neyaashingaming Ontario.
Why It Matters
Why is this issue important to all Canadians?
Why should it matter to those who didn’t attend residential school?
- IT MATTERS because it continues to affect First Nations, Inuit and Métis families–people from vibrant cultures who are vital contributors to Canadian society.
- IT MATTERS because it happened here, in a country we call our own–a land considered to be a free and democratic land where every person has human rights.
- IT MATTERS because Indigenous communities suffer levels of poverty, illness, and illiteracy comparable to those in developing nations–conditions that are being perpetuated through inaction.
- IT MATTERS because we share this land. We may not be responsible for what happened in the past, but we all benefit from what First Nations, Inuit, and Metis have had to relinquish.
- IT MATTERS because we are responsible for our actions today.
