Orange Shirt Day - Not just another holiday

What does Truth and Reconciliation really mean to me?

I recently finished reading “Five Little Indians” by Michelle Good, a book about five young Indigenous students who struggle to overcome the trauma they faced during their time at residential school. While the book is fictional, Lily is a real person. …This book is a must read for those of us who were never taught about the 60s scoop in school and is soon to be adapted into a limited TV series.? It is a part of our history we need to acknowledge and understand to move forward in the spirit of truth and reconciliation.??

The discovery earlier this year of the 215 children’s bodies being found on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School had flags lowered to half mast, but as the author of this profound book stated in a recent interview this is not enough. Her objective in writing her book was “I want them to stop asking the question: "Why can’t we just get over it? I want them to obtain a personalized and a meaningful understanding of the half life of trauma and how it continues and will continue to resonate through the generations. It doesn’t just stop with the person that attended the school.”? This message resonated strongly with me after reading her book and has me thinking about what actions I can take in my life in the spirit of truth and reconciliation.

Every Child Matters - Hitting close to home

One of my contacts on LinkedIn, Jessica Vandenberghe, an Indigenous female engineer recently shared an interactive map that identifies whether you lived near a residential school.? Entering the address of my childhood home, I lived a mere 4 kms from the nearest residential school that was in operation from 1892 until 1948, yet don’t ever remember learning about residential schools in my education anytime from kindergarten to completing my undergraduate degree.? How do we move past the trauma of something a large portion of the population wasn’t even told about???

How can I do my part on September 30?

September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - at school, kids know it as Orange Shirt Day — this is the first year that Canada will recognize the day as a federal holiday.? While the province of Alberta has decided not to recognize this as a statutory holiday, I am grateful my employer, PwC Canada, has recognized the importance of this holiday and is closing our offices across the country on September 30.? I plan to use the day to wear my orange shirt, take my children to a local ceremony to honour the survivors of residential schools and the children who never returned home.? I want to ensure my kids learn about indigenous heritage and am grateful for resources like CBC kids has compiled on this topic my kids can watch.

Five Little Indians had such a profound impact on my perspective of the issues faced by residential school survivors and their children, grandchildren that I bought several copies of the book and will be distributing them among the “Free Little Libraries” spread throughout my community in the hopes that others will be impacted by this book as well.

Moving forward

I acknowledge my white privilege and have been wrestling with how to do my part, in my community and as a parent.? I am only at the beginning of my journey, and will continue to learn more about how I can be part of the generation that acknowledges the intergenerational trauma that exists and how I can be an advocate but it can be challenging to know where to start.??

As a starting point, I’ve added these podcasts to my playlist on “Unsettled Journeys in Truth and Conciliation” and Reconciliation through Housing. Also, we are headed into a civic election next month and I will be asking some tough questions of the candidates that come to my door.???

The Truth

On September 30 and beyond I will be thinking about this profound quote from one of the residential school survivors in Five Little Indians that has stuck with me.? “Our childhood memories are about murder and mayhem.? How many others can’t bear their own thoughts?? They need to hear the truth.”? I know for me, reading Michelle Good's Book was a good starting point in hearing the truth.

I’m curious to know how others plan to recognize the Canada's first national Truth and Reconciliation Day and what resources you have found helpful.??