An important part of healing broken relationships is building awareness about what damaged it.  The month of September is back to school time for most children.

Historically this marked the time of year where First Nations children were forcibly taken from their families and enrolled in boarding schools called Indian Residential Schools.

The children were forcibly removed from their homes, often taken long distances away from their family and community for months or years at a time. The schools were designed to assimilate the children into western culture.

They were not allowed to practice their culture, or speak their language at school.  The children were often treated poorly. They were  often subjected to mistreatments such as lack of proper nutrition and health care or worse.

The goal - assimilation. Take the ‘Indian out of the child’ or as John A Macdonald said “get rid of the Indian problem.” The last federally operated residential school closed in 1996. 

One Elder said that the schools were “devoid of love”. Being raised without love is a trauma that has many lasting impacts on the individual and on society.

Approximately 150, 000 Indigenous children went to these schools with thousands of them dying there. 

Orange Shirt Day began in Williams Lake, B.C. in 2013 and has since

spread to schools across Canada. Orange shirt events were designed to

commemorate the residential school experience, to witness and honour

the healing journey of the survivors and their families, and as a

commitment to the ongoing process of reconciliation.

Catherine Nichols Gunn will be learning about Residential Schools and the awareness around

Orange Shirt Day. Amongst various learning activities, we will be

talking a walk around the neighbourhood.

Check your teachers messages for more information within each class.