Truth & Reconciliation Report

T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 2 1

HILLFIELD STRATHALLAN COLLEGE A special update prepared for: MRS. JOYCE YOUNG ’43 October 2021

Dear Mrs. Young, Since you are a passionate supporter of truth and reconciliation, we’d like to share with you how the HSC community committed to activities and lessons recognizing the Indigenous peoples of this land, while honouring those whose lives were impacted by the Residential School system across Canada.

Students reflected on their own connections to Canada’s ongoing Indigenous history through a variety of activities, writing, personal reflection, physical activity and storytelling.

Sincerely,

Zahra Valani, CFRE Director, Advancement and Communications ORANGE SHIRT DAY ACTIVITIES College-wide Chapel › Topics included » The history of Orange Shirt Day » The purpose of our new land acknowledgment » A thanksgiving address Storytelling › Through a variety of resources Land acknowledgment activities › Students reflected on their home and through their research, wrote a personal land acknowledgment Group Pledge and Activities › Students wrote group pledges and activities reflecting on the importance of the day. These pledges will be reflected on, adjusted and revisited throughout the year College-wide Orange Shirt Activity › Students wrote a letter (or drew a picture) to a residential school survivor. The ‘Orange Shirt’ was placed outside for the community to view on Friday morning. All shirts were delivered to the Woodland Cultural Centre Physical Education Games › Teachers led Indigenous games such as lacrosse and longball

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT Hillfield Strathallan College is situated upon the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, HuronWendat, Haudenosaunee, and Mississaugas.

This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, which was an agreement between the Haudenosaunee, Anishinabek, and other Indigenous nations to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes.

As members of the learning community at HSC, we are committed to honouring this covenant by working alongside our Indigenous neighbours and building a sustainable relationship with the land that we all cherish.

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Health and Physical Education teachers led outdoor Indigenous games. Pictured here is a senior girls physical education class playing lacrosse.

To mark Orange Shirt Day, HSC raised the Every Child Matters flag which will fly for the month of October. The flag was designed by Carol Louie (Ktunaxa artist), Robert Louie (Ktunaxa), Denice Louie (Athabascan) and Gabe Kobasiuk (Cree).

The Montessori welcomed back Kassie Hill, HSC class of 2017. Ms Hill is a member of the Mohawk Nation and shared with the children, ages 3-9, the First Nations creation story "On Turtle's Back". The school also created Montessori class materials to integrate Indigenous subject matter into our Social Science and Language curriculum.

Zahra Valani, CFRE Director of Advancement and Communications 905-389-1367, ext. 162 zahra.valani@hsc.on.ca Katie Haick Manager, Major Gifts 905-389-1367, ext. 107 katie.haick@hsc.on.ca HSC Advancement and Communications Office Hillfield Strathallan College 299 Fennell Avenue West Hamilton, ON L9C 1G3 www.hsc.on.ca Charitable registration number: BN 11895 7810 RR0001