On Friday, September 30, Canada will observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is also Orange Shirt Day. Although we will be closed on this day, we encourage you to learn about the history and legacy of residential schools and reflect on our shared journey towards truth and reconciliation.
Both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day provide the NAIT community with the opportunity to learn, show solidarity, share perspectives, and honour residential school survivors, their families and communities.
Starting on Thursday, September 22 - NAIT's Aboriginal Culture Day - and leading up to September 30, NAIT will be hosting events both online and in person for students and staff.
September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, an important day to acknowledge and honour the generational and inter-generational survivors of residential schools and those who did not make it home. As in the past, we encourage everyone to wear an orange shirt throughout the week of September 26 leading up to Orange Shirt Day to show our shared commitment toward truth and reconciliation.
Events
Aboriginal Culture Day
Thursday, Sept. 22 I Time: 8:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m. I Events throughout campus
Walking Together: Non-Indigenous Perspectives on Truth and Reconciliation
Thursday, Sept. 22 I 1:00 p.m. I In person:E124 or Online
Want to understand how you can play a role in truth and reconciliation from a non-Indigenous perspective? In this 1-hour session, the facilitators present information about the role that non-Indigenous people have in Truth and Reconciliation. They share some of their own insights and experiences as non-Indigenous people living in Canada, followed by an open discussion.
Topics covered during this session include:
- Who is responsible for Truth and Reconciliation
- Moving forward together
- Taking action - What can you do?
Register now
How to: Cook Stew and Bannock I Hosted by NAITSA
Monday, Sept. 26 I 4:15 p.m. I NAITSA
NAITSA in partnership with NAIT's Culinary reseach team will host a How to: Cook Stew and Bannock event, where students will learn how to cook authentic recipes developed in collaboration with the Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre.
Register now
Blanket Exercise
Tuesday, Sept. 27 | 2:00 p.m. - 4 :00 p.m. I Location: T116
According to KAIROS, the Blanket Exercise is based on Indigenous methodologies, and the goal is to build understanding about our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada by walking through pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. Everyone is actively involved as they step onto blankets that represent the land and into the role of First Nations, Inuit and later Métis peoples. By engaging on an emotional and intellectual level, the Blanket Exercise effectively educates and increases empathy.
Register now
Walking Together: Non-Indigenous Perspectives on Truth and Reconciliation
Wednesday, Sept. 28 I 12:00 p.m. I In person: E124 or Online
Want to understand how you can play a role in truth and reconciliation from a non-Indigenous perspective? In this 1-hour session, the facilitators present information about the role that non-Indigenous people have in Truth and Reconciliation. They share some of their own insights and experiences as non-Indigenous people living in Canada, followed by an open discussion.
Topics covered during this session include:
- Who is responsible for Truth and Reconciliation
- Moving forward together
- Taking action - What can you do?
Register now
Orange Shirt Day Photo
Thursday, Sept. 29 I 10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. I CAT Crossing
Wear your Orange Shirt and participate in a group photo as the NAIT Community honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of Canada's residential schools, as well as their families and communities.
Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre Open House and Stew and Bannock
Thursday, Sept. 29 I 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. I Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre
Join us to meet the Nîsôhkamâtotân team and learn about their programs and services. At this drop-in session, stew and bannock will be offered on a first come first served basis. No registration is required.
Pîkiskwetân session - Residential Schools
Thursday, Sept. 29 I 2:30 p.m. I In peron: Shaw Theatre or Online
This session provides an overview of the Residential School experience and the lasting impacts that continue to devastate First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. The facilitators are all intergenerational Residential School survivors who share their personal stories throughout the session.
Register now
More Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre events
In the months following Friday, Sept. 30, the Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre will be holding ongoing Pîkiskwetân “Let’s Talk” Series events on topics related to the sixties scoop, inter-generational trauma, missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, as well as various events throughout the year.
Full list of events
Check out related reading
Related pages
Want to learn more about residential schools and truth and reconciliation? We've compiled some recommended reading here: