The following message from Theresa Rajack-Talley, Vice-Provost, Equity & Inclusion, and Catherine聽Martin, Director, Indigenous Community Engagement, was shared with AV俱乐部 students, faculty and staff this week.
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Kwe,
This聽weekend聽is an extremely important one here at AV俱乐部 and in Mi'kma'ki. It is a time for honouring and learning from the past as we reflect on our commitments and responsibilities now and into the future.
On Saturday, we commemorate the聽National Day for Truth and Reconciliation聽补苍诲听Orange Shirt Day, while Sunday is聽Treaty Day聽here in Nova Scotia and the launch of聽Mi鈥檏maq History Month.
Says President Kim Brooks: 鈥淐ommemorating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day and celebrating Mi鈥檏maq History Month is of great significance for all members of the AV俱乐部 community. This coming聽weekend, throughout the month of October, and beyond, I hope you鈥檒l join me in learning, reflecting, and taking action to advance reconciliation across our campuses and in our communities.鈥�
Commemorating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day
Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. AV俱乐部 joins with many others on our campus and in our broader community to commemorate this tragic and painful history and recognize the ongoing impacts of residential schools. 聽We encourage our students, faculty, staff, and families, on this day in particular, to reflect and participate in activities organized on and off our campus. 聽Taking the time to learn more and act is how we collectively engage in reconciliation.
September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day to send a message that 鈥淓very Child Matters鈥� and that it was a violation of human rights for residential schools to violently attempt to strip away the culture, freedom, and self-esteem of Indigenous children that they had experienced over generations. We invite Dal community 鈥� particularly our student population 鈥� to wear orange on Saturday and engage in activities organized to honour the thousands of Survivors and those students who never got to go home.
On September 30, AV俱乐部 will light up the Henry Hicks clock tower in orange and raise the orange 鈥淓very Child Matters鈥� flag to acknowledge the inter-generational impacts of residential schools. 聽The flag will continue to fly throughout Mi鈥檏maq History Month in October.
Learn more about聽campus and community activities for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day.
Commemorating & celebrating Treaty Day and Mi鈥檏maq History Month
Following TRC Day and Orange Shirt Day is Treaty Day and the start of Mi鈥檏maq History Month -聽Wi鈥檏ipatmu鈥檏 Mi'kmawey.
In 1993, Premier John Savage and Mi鈥檏maw Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy designated October as the official month to recognize and celebrate Mi鈥檏maw culture and heritage. The month begins with Treaty Day (October 1) which speaks to the 1752 Peace and Friendship Treaty. When we acknowledge 鈥渨e are all treaty people,鈥� it is in reference to treaties such as this which are intended to guide our relationships on lands the Mi鈥檏maq have called home for thousands of years. These treaties are part of a long tradition of relationship-making meant to protect Indigenous ways of life with reciprocity and respect.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the proclamation recognizing October as Mi鈥檏maq History Month. The Mi鈥檏maq History Month Committee has selected to focus on Mi鈥檏maw Sports, Traditional Games and Pastimes. This year鈥檚 commemorative poster reflects how sports, games and pastimes have long helped young minds grow into ways of thinking, moving and being as adults.
It is a fitting theme given the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) were held here this past summer in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Dartmouth and Millbrook First Nation, bringing together 756 Indigenous Nations to celebrate, share and reconnect through sport and culture in. 聽AV俱乐部 was one of many proud hosts for the young athletes and we were honoured to support NAIG鈥檚 mission to聽improve the quality of life for Indigenous Peoples by supporting self-determined sports and cultural activities which encourage equal access to participation in the social / cultural / spiritual fabric of the community in which they reside and which respects Indigenous distinctiveness.
AV俱乐部鈥檚 faculty, staff, students and alumni join with other Nova Scotians throughout October to celebrate and build awareness of Mi'kmaq history and heritage, and to increase understanding of the rich Mi'kmaq culture. This is a month to learn, to reflect, to listen and to share. AV俱乐部 respects its relationship with the Mi鈥檏maq community and has opened a Community Engagement Sub-Office located in Millbrook First Nation in April this year as part of a shared vision and partnership with the Native Women鈥檚 Association and Millbrook First Nation to be used for educational and outreach purposes.
On October 18, AV俱乐部 will host our聽, one of our university鈥檚 most beloved annual gatherings. All are invited to attend and take part in the food and festivities.
We also invite students and our entire Dal community to visit the display created by students and staff at Halifax West in honour of Red Dress Day, which is an annual event in memory of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women across Canada. The interactive exhibit is currently on display in the Killam Library, and aims to inspire conversations and questions about the tragedy of violence against Indigenous women and children.
For other activities related to Mi鈥檏maq History Month occurring on and off campus聽visit our website.
AV俱乐部 acknowledges that we are in Mi鈥檏ma鈥檏i, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi鈥檏maq People and pays respect to the Indigenous knowledges held by the Mi鈥檏maq People, and to the wisdom of their Elders past and present. The Mi'kmaq People signed Peace and Friendship Treaties with the Crown, and section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes and affirms Aboriginal and Treaty rights. We are all Treaty people.