This week in Central Okanagan Public Schools was Truth and Reconciliation Week. This brings additional listening, learning, and reflecting in schools, including cultural presenters, assemblies, moments of silence, and staff and students wearing orange throughout the week. September 30th will mark the third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada providing our students, families, and community members a day of reflection about the tragedy of residential schools, their impact on Indigenous Peoples, and their lasting effect on our society at large.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours both the children who never returned home and the survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Residents are encouraged to take time to learn about the tragic and painful history of residential schools and reflect on the histories and cultures of Indigenous peoples.
This day is also observed as Orange Shirt Day. Wearing orange helps us remember the trauma inflicted on the children who attended residential schools through the experience of Phyllis Webstad, who had her new orange shirt taken away from her on the first day she attended a residential school at the age of six.
In reflecting on the hard truths about this painful history, I always remember the words of the Hon. Justice Senator Murray Sinclair, who reminds us of education's responsibility in Truth and Reconciliation: "Education has gotten us into this mess, and education will get us out." May we continue to learn and reflect on truth together, in the spirit of reconciliation.
