President Steenkamp: Orange Shirt Day & National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Sept. 30 marks Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – a day to honour survivors of Residential Schools in Canada, their families, communities as well as those who never returned home.
I know September can be a heavy month for many Indigenous students, faculty, and staff at Royal Roads University and across the country. It’s a time that can carry deep emotions, and I want to acknowledge that weight with respect and care.
On Sept. 30, the RRU campus will be closed, and the Survivors’ Flag will fly over the beautiful traditional Lands of the Lekwungen-speaking Peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. The Survivors’ Flag honours residential school survivors and everyone impacted by Canada’s Residential School system. You can learn more about the flag and hear from Survivors on the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website.
I know many of us will mark this month in our own way — whether by attending an event, learning opportunity or finding other meaningful ways to take action. A great place to start is by visiting Royal Roads’ National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day webpage where you will find a list of community and RRU events, a link to the RRU Library’s digital display which features resources related to Indigeneity and truth and reconciliation as well as voices from members of our community. I encourage you to read a feature story profiling Certificate in Indigenous Environmental Leadership alum Brooklyn Rudolph, whose artwork is now featured on Orange Shirts across the country.
Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking with award-winning Anishinaabe journalist and author Tanya Talaga as part of our Changemakers Speakers Series. What really stood out to me was the importance of creating space for storytelling, especially for difficult stories, because it deepens our understanding and helps us see the world through one another’s experiences.
I encourage you to mark your calendars for an important event on campus this week. On Wednesday, Sept. 24, the Diversity Action Group will lead an Indigenous Learning Landmarks Tour. I encourage you to join them to learn about the significance of the embedded knowledge in each of the landmark locations including the button blanket in the Library, the All My Relations art installation (Dogwood), the Indigenous Medicine Garden and more.