Here are some events set for, or related to, Sept. 30, the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. Will you take part?
(All times below are PDT)
Sept. 27-Oct. 1 or 2
- National: From Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, Truth and Reconciliation Week 2021, an online event open to all Canadian schools from the University of Manitoba: http://ow.ly/J6Nf50GaIPd
- Smithers BC: Sept. 27 – Oct. 2: Events including war-canoe pulling. Info: http://ow.ly/SNf150GednO
Sept. 30
- International: Sept. 30: The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation of Kamloops asks ‘people around the world’ to drum for the missing children of Indian residential schools, at 2:15pm. There’s already a promise to participate by the Aboriginal Bundjalung people of Australia, on the northern coastal area of New South Wales. You can join in person at the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Pow Wow Arbour. Or watch the livestream via http://ow.ly/OSLX50GhTxI. Info: http://ow.ly/EZta50GcczQ
- National: The CBC, on radio and TV, offers a day of special programming for Truth and Reconciliation: http://ow.ly/8RAd50GgCIo
- National: APTN offers 24 hours of programming to honour the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. The schedule: https://www.aptn.ca/ndtr/
- National: The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation offers a special broadcast to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It starts at 5pm via outlets listed here: http://ow.ly/vU5f50Ge7vB
- National: Canadian History through an Indigenous Lens, online learning event hosted by the First Nations Technology Council, 10am – noon. Info/register: http://ow.ly/G7gR50Gdpmk
- National: At 7am, SiriusXM Canada introduces Turtle Island Talks, a town hall series. The first edition looks at residential schools and their impact. Info on the livestreams: http://ow.ly/4CQp50GiCUo
- Regional: CBC Radio One coverage includes, across BC, a special edition of the Early Edition, with Angela Sterritt interviewing residential school survivors, and Phyllis Webstad of the Orange Shirt movement, 5am – 8:30am. http://ow.ly/fOR050GiE7Y
- Bowen Island: Community event to make orange flags, 10am – 4pm, 828 Hummingbird Lane: http://ow.ly/v6vD50Gh4Ku
- Campbell River: Laichwiltach Family Life Society holds its fifth annual Orange Shirt Day Walk and event at Spirit Square, 11am – 2pm: http://ow.ly/5ENi50Gh3UQ
- Campbell River: The ‘Listen, I Matter’ run/walk at Tyee Spit, every hour from 6am – 6pm. Register: http://ow.ly/E6EW50Gh4Ar
- Chilliwack: TRUTH-Marking walk at Stó:lö Nation, Chilliwack, 4pm – 7pm: http://ow.ly/LvOA50GaKs1
- Clearwater, 11am, Dutch Lake Community Centre. Event begins with words from residential-school survivors’ & families. Join the drumming at 2:15pm. ‘We are limited to 100 people.’
- Duncan: Cowichan Tribes’ Every Child Matters March, VIU to Si’em Lelum soccer fields on River Road, then elders will share stories followed by drumming, singing and dancing. Registration 8am – 9am: http://ow.ly/IpwI50GccRf
- Fort St. John, Honouring the Survivors, 11am – 3:30pm, Centennial Park, followed by cave tours at Tse’K’wa at Charlie Lake, 3:30-5pm.
http://ow.ly/xnEn50GftYJ - Fraser Lake BC: Drum for the children at Tseyaz Bunk’ut, former site of the Lejac residential school, starting at noon. (In January 1937 four young boys froze to death as they ran away from the school.) Goal: to walk 1km for every unmarked Indigenous grave discovered to date, 6509.
- Kitamaat Village: The Haisla Nation will hold an event at Kitamaat Village, 10am – 1 pm. It will also be a community ‘welcome home’ for residential-school survivors who never had a formal welcome home from the community. http://ow.ly/szBC50GccHD
- Kitimat: The Kitamaat/Kitimat Truth and Reconciliation committee presents People of the Snow Truth and Reconciliation Day, 1pm, behind Riverlodge Recreation Centre, Kitimat. It, too, will ‘welcome home’ residential-school survivors. All day: District of Kitimat offers free transit service: http://ow.ly/LL6x50Gj4eC
- Maple Ridge: Truth and Reconciliation Community Vigil, 7pm, Memorial Peace Park.
- Mission: Phyllis Webstad, the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem woman behind Orange Shirt Day, speaks at Fraser River Heritage Park; the event starts at 11am: http://ow.ly/kRlp50Gh2Z9
- Nanaimo: Honouring our Children on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, 10am – 2pm at Maffeo Sutton Park/ Swy-a-Lana. The event includes honouring a welcome pole by Snuneymuxw carver Noel Brown, Snuneymuxw flag recognition and cultural performances by Snuneymuxw dancers. http://ow.ly/YiBi50GbNVQ
- Nanaimo: Salish Storm Hockey Association holds a barbecue and games of ball hockey 740 Howard Street, 1pm – 4pm: http://ow.ly/h0DH50Gh3N4
- Oak Bay: Community event at the Sno’uyutth Welcome Pole, in front of Oak Bay High School, 2121 Cadboro Bay Rd., 10am – 11am. http://ow.ly/BEM850GhbrD
- Prince George: Honour Walk, drumming and singing, Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park, 11am – 5pm: http://ow.ly/iCFm50Gh6Fq
- Prince Rupert: community walk at 1pm, Jim Ciccone Civic Centre track and field, then drumming and songs at 2:15pm. http://ow.ly/CU8J50Ghypm
- Prince Rupert: Truth & Reconciliation Walk – 215 Laps Together: 1pm – 5pm, Prince Rupert Middle School Track & Field.
- Richmond: Evening of truth and healing with a residential-school survivor, 7pm, St. Joseph the Worker parish, 4451 Williams Rd.
- Saanich, 11am, Unveiling of territorial acknowledgement plaque, Hampton Park, 3401 Tillicum Rd.
- UBC Vancouver: UBC Vancouver Intergenerational March to the Reconciliation Pole, 11:45am – 2pm: http://ow.ly/ACew50GaIK6
- UBC Vancouver: UBC’s Museum of Anthropology hosts Sound House, with Indigenous artists to mark Orange Shirt Day. Join in a commemorative lantern procession and take in performances in Haida House, 7pm. http://ow.ly/4AZQ50GaJdq
- Vancouver Art Gallery: Xweýene:msta:m ?əkwəsqwel, seýeḿ blends traditional Coast Salish song and regalia with contemporary music and performance, šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (North Plaza), free, at noon: http://ow.ly/cP6c50Gh4em
- Vernon: Greater Vernon Museum and Archives presents special events: http://ow.ly/UQwP50Gh4pa
- Victoria: Xe xe Smun’ eem-Victoria Orange Shirt Day, noon – 2:30pm in Centennial Square: http://ow.ly/LWus50GgCvl
- Victoria: National Reconciliation Day bike ride, 10 am -noon. http://ow.ly/wpl850Gh3io
- Victoria: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria open house, with two exhibitions related to First Nations, noon – 5pm: http://ow.ly/2UcQ50GhbQ8
- West Vancouver: The West Vancouver Memorial Library is open 10am – 5pm with events and resources to mark the day and the history: http://ow.ly/oP6Q50GfTOp
- White Rock: Walk for Reconciliation led by the Semiahmoo Nation, starting at 1pm at the Grand Chief Bernard Charles Memorial Plaza (15400-block of Marine Drive), then eastward along the promenade to an event at Semiahmoo Park. Details: http://ow.ly/IuOB50Gh3C3
- Williams Lake: Story Walk – Kiwanis Park, all day (self-guided), featuring the book When We Were Alone, by David A Robertson.
- Yarrow BC, event at 7pm includes smudging ceremony by Sto’lo Nation member Lek’hoosh Arnie Leon, at Yarrow Pioneer Park: http://ow.ly/GylQ50GgKCY
Oct. 1
- Abbotsford: Heritage Abbotsford Society launches the exhibit ‘The River People and the Land: Living within S’ólh Téméxw.’ Register: http://ow.ly/4Bkg50GaKhz
Know of more events we might list? Please let us know at communications@fnlngalliance.com
