September 30th marked the third official National Day for Truth & Reconciliation in Canada, an opportunity to acknowledge the sad history of our country’s residential school system, to honour the survivors and commemorate the children who never returned home. Also known as “Orange Shirt Day,” this day asks Canadians to educate themselves on the residential school system and its impact on Indigenous People, and to commit to reconciliation.
On Friday, September 29th, Trinity College School students and staff took part in programming, including learning about the process of reworking the School’s land acknowledgement. The school community gathered in Cirne Commons, wearing orange shirts and/or orange ribbons (click here to learn more about the origins of Orange Shirt Day), and there they were introduced to the new land acknowledgement.
TCS’s Land Acknowledgement
Trinity College School is located on Michi-Saagiig Anishnaabeg territory. Since time immemorial, this land has been stewarded by Michi-Saagiig Anishnaabeg, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, Cayuga, and Chippewa Nations and is now also home to many Indigenous Peoples from across Turtle Island and around the world. As a part of colonial history, the 100 acres that TCS stands on have been part of the Johnson-Butler Purchase of 1787 and the Williams Treaty of 1923.
As settlers, we have the responsibility to be stewards of this land in partnership with Indigenous neighbours. We recognize that this is an ecological community where we will respect and protect the flora, fauna, and local water systems, including the Ganaraskè River and Lake Ontari’io.
As treaty people, TCS is committed to reconciliation in our classrooms, in our activism, and in our community at large.
We value our relationships with Indigenous communities and are committed to learning from Indigenous Peoples, cultures and histories.
We will face the truth and educate ourselves about traumatic histories and ongoing inequities endured by Indigenous Peoples. We are committed to active participation in Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation era.
A land acknowledgement recognizes, respects and honours the territory, the treaties, the original occupants and their ancestors, as well as the history that is connected to the land. Junior and Senior School students who participated in the reworking of the land acknowledgement took the stage to share the new acknowledgement statement and explain the meaning behind it. These students had begun the process of reworking the land acknowledgement last spring, when they took part in a workshop guided by Christine Luckasavitch and Algonquin Elder Dan Bowers. The Grade 11 American History and Grade 5 Social Studies students learned about the meaning of acknowledgements, then reflected on the School’s existing acknowledgement and collaborated on developing the new wording. In consultation with the Truth & Reconciliation Committee and Ms. Luckasavitch, the final wording was agreed upon and formally adopted by the School’s senior leadership team.
Opportunities to listen and learn
We were grateful to have Ms. Luckasavitch, and Algonquin Elders Dan Bowers and Ethel LaValley generously share their stories with our community during Friday’s presentation. The afternoon provided the opportunity for all our students to meet in small groups to discuss what they heard and learned.
Earlier in the week, our Junior School students made connections to nature with our Grade 5 and 6 students engaging in the Traditional Ecological Knowledge program at Camp Kawartha on a three-day trip. On Wednesday, Grade 7 and 8 students participated in programming at Petroglyphs Provincial Park which enriched their understanding of Indigenous culture and the enduring importance of Indigenous contributions to our country’s history.
Throughout the week, an Every Child Matters flag was displayed at the Junior School and within Cirne Commons. Every Child Matters pays tribute to the innocent lives lost and to those adults who continue to heal from the trauma of their time in residential schools. As well, on Friday, pins were made available to the school community featuring the Canadian Indigenous flag, one of the flags that flies regularly in the display on the east side of campus.
Thank you to our special guests and to the TCS Truth & Reconciliation Committee, for providing the opportunity for our school community to recognize and reflect upon all those who have suffered the tragic impacts of our country’s residential school system.
