As a first generation survivor I always want to honor my nohtawiy (my father) George who was stolen from my Kokum (grandmother) Sarah Dion to attend Blue Quills Residential School for 5 years of his very young life.
The Fall can be the saddest time for so many survivors because the changing of the leaves means that they were not going to see their families for a very long time (a FULL school year) or maybe never see their families again. Most of us now can hardly leave our little ones in day care or school for a day, never mind a whole year of wondering how they are doing? Are they happy? Are they having a good day? Has anyone hurt them? Are they sick or in pain? For the most part there was little to no communication — can you imagine what that would be like?
Try to imagine being taken away from your parents at the age of five. Being given a NUMBER instead of a NAME. Being punished for speaking the ONLY language you know. Being cut off from your family. IMAGINE being a parent, and being threatened with jail if you didn’t give up your children. Imagine being cut off from your children for TEN YEARS! WHAT WOULD IT DO TO YOUR FAMILY?
It’s because of stories like mine that are all too common that the Aboriginal Student Services Centre invites all Faculties, departments and other services on campus to please join us in recognizing Orange Shirt Day Orange Shirt Day at the U of A on September 29, 2017(nationwide on Saturday, September 30, 2017). We hope this will be a day for coming together to discuss moving toward a journey of reconciliation, respect and equal partnerships.
On September 29, we encourage everyone to wear an orange shirt to honour and remember the experiences of the thousands of children who were stolen from their families and placed in Indian residential schools. We also invite you to join us in the main Quad on North Campus at noon for a group photo.
For those who do not already have or who would like a new orange shirt, the Aboriginal Student Services Centre will be selling t-shirts uniquely designed by Jerry Whitehead at the U of A Bookstore in SUB on September 28. Proceeds will go directly towards our centre’s cultural programming.
Why Orange Shirts?
Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) residential school commemoration event that was held in Williams Lake, BC, Canada, in the spring of 2013. It grew out of Phyllis’ story of having her shiny new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually.
The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.
We encourage you to wear an orange shirt on Friday, September 29 and to post pictures of yourself using the hashtag #OrangeShirtDay2017 and #UAlberta.
Shana Dion — Director, Aboriginal Student Services Centre
Tânisi osâwâw acâhkos nehiyaw iskwew niya Kehewin Cree Nation ochi niya. Hello, my spirit name is ‘yellow star’, and I am a Cree woman from Kehewin Cree Nation. It is important that I introduced myself in Cree because it grounds me in who I am, where I come from and who I am accountable to. I am truly humbled and thankful for this opportunity to be present for the First Nation, Métis and Inuit students while they are on their academic journey at the University of Alberta. As the Director of the ASSC, my responsibilities are deeply-rooted in a holistic way of being with balance in all things while on your journey through life.
Updated on September 28, 2017.