The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) has wound down in Barrie and organizers hope it continues on throughout the year.
More than 250 people participated in the Every Child Matters walk on Friday, which found its way from the Spirit Catcher to Centennial Beach and back.
Vanessa Partridge-Kennedy, representing Red Quills, was one of the leaders and organizers of the event. She told BarrieToday that despite the busy parts of the day, it was a difficult time for her.
“It's a hard time for me because I think of my mom and grandmother, both of whom went to a residential school. If they don’t survive, I’m not here and neither is my daughter,” Partridge-Kennedy said.
The NDTR was first established in 2013, as part of an effort to promote awareness and education of the residential school system and to bring to light the negative effects it has had on Indigenous communities.
Also referred to as Orange Shirt Day, Sept. 30 honours Phyllis Jack Webstad, who in 1973 at the age of six, had her clothing, including a new orange shirt, taken from her during her first day of residential schooling and never returned.
The orange shirt has now become a poignant symbol of the forced assimilation of Indigenous children that the residential school system enforced.
The day became a federal statutory holiday in 2021, after the discovery of unmarked graves on the sites of former residential schools.
Partridge-Kennedy said she was glad to see so many people around the country and region honouring the day, and encouraged everyone to continue even after the date on the calendar changes.
“The people who came out today have obviously made an effort towards understanding. I see a lot of kids here and that is good because, while I know it's being taught in the schools, which is good, it is even better to hear it from an Indigenous person,” she said. “We know that history is always written by the conquerors, so all the text books we’ve read are written by non-Indigenous people. It's good to get the facts and truth.”
Kyle Baton participated in the walk and said that while he is not Indigenous, he believes it was important to know more about what happened over the course of many decades.
“I was hesitant because I always felt these events weren’t for me, weren’t for a white guy. But I have been learning that people like me need to be here and need to listen,” he said. “The history of the residential schools is extremely dark; reconciliation needs to happen.”
During a flag-raising ceremony on Tuesday to commemorate the week, Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman explained what Orange Shirt Day means to him and how he would honour the day.
“Something I’m working on as an annual tradition is to read the Calls to Action again. There are a number of them that are partly responsible for local government and there are recommendations that have been made to our level of government as to how we can further the process of reconciliation,” Lehman told BarrieToday.
Barrie-Innisfil MP John Brassard also issued a statement saying he was glad to see so many ceremonies in the region marking the day.
“Whether through personal reflection or by coming together as a community, this is a day to commemorate the history and legacy of the residential school system, to remember and mourn the children who never came home and to honour survivors and families, their resilience, dignity, and strength,” the local MP said.
“Learning about Canada’s history and how it continues to impact our Indigenous communities is a vital component of the reconciliation process," Brassard added.
For more information on Indigenous issues, you can contact the Mamaway Wiidokdaadwin Primary Care Team of the Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle (BANAC), the Barrie Native Friendship Centre (BNFC), or Red Quills.
