3 minute read
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (The Glen, Winter 2024)
Since 2020 September 30 has been designated as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, though the day has been commemorated as Orange Shirt Day for a decade. The symbol of the orange shirt came about after residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad shared her story, and remembered a new orange shirt that she had been gifted for the first day of school, which was taken away from her. The orange shirt has since become ubiquitous with the commemoration of all residential school survivors and a commitment to sharing their stories as we work toward reconciliation.
Last year Bayview Glen staff and faculty had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Hopi Martin, PhD. Ojibwe Developmental Psychology and Education Oshkaabewis (Sacred Helper, Messenger, Fire Keeper, Lodge Caretaker). His work focuses on the importance of connection to the land, and the inherent value in learning alongside members of our community from different age groups. In keeping with this teaching our whole school activities this year were centered around students connecting with one another, with older students guiding and supporting younger students.
On the day students from JK-Grade 12 gathered with one another, two grades together, to spend time on the land connecting with Mother Earth. They read aloud our land acknowledgement and took time to learn about each other and connect as peers. As a group the students walked the land together, reflecting on the theme for this year’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — Honouring Survivors.
In the days leading up to September 30 students in the Prep and Upper School were provided with prompts to help them spark conversation with their younger buddies and lead them through a series of reflection questions which made note of how the students felt while connecting with Mother Earth, how they experienced the changing of seasons while on the land, or how they could commit to protecting and preserving nature for future generations. Student buddies concluded the activity by sitting together and drawing pictures to encapsulate their experiences.
The Preschool ran a separate programme on the day, in conjunction with the programming across the other divisions. Together they sat in a circle, connected as a BG community, and shared their own specially crafted Land Acknowledgment. Students sang a song with their teachers and concluded their moment of connection and reflection by tying orange wish ribbons to the fence. This was done as an act of honouring with respect, kindness, and gratitude the land on which we learn and come together, and recognizing those who came before us and the current caretakers of our land.
As a community, we were reminded of how fortunate we are to have access to the land surrounding the School in our location alongside the Don River Valley and Betty Sutherland Trail. In her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants Robin Wall Kimmerer shared a quote that reads “When we call a place by name, it is transformed from wilderness to homeland.” As we look forward to future learning alongside one another, we also look forward to coming to know our place on the land better as it is transformed from wilderness to our homeland.
