The Town of St. Marys is encouraging education into Indigenous issues as it commemorates the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
Commemorations will start on Sept. 30 at 9 a.m. with the raising of an orange flag at City Hall.
At 10 a.m., local Indigenous educator, Pasty Anne Day, will lead a corn husk doll-making workshop in the town hall auditorium and at 1 p.m., the library will host a live stream of 'Remembering the Children', a national commemorative gathering happening at Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats.
From Sept. 28, leading up to Sept. 30, St. Marys Museum will host interactive research sessions about residential schools.
The sessions will be led by a PhD candidate from the University of Montreal, and will focus on how to encourage allyship when teaching difficult topics and issues to non-Indigenous Canadians.
Pre-registration is required for these sessions and those interested in them can reach out by email to [email protected] or call 519-284-3556.
The museum is also hosting the #hopeandhealingcanada project, created by Métis artist Tracey-Mae Chambers, which features red yarns that illustrate connections between Indigenous, Inuit and Métis people with Canadians, while also addressing the decolonization of public spaces, and on Sept. 29, Talking about Treaty 29, an exhibit about the history of treaties in the area now known as St. Marys.
All National Day of Truth and Reconciliation events are free to everyone.
Those attending the events on Sept. 30 are encouraged to wear an orange shirt to raise awareness about the ongoing impacts of residential schools and to reinforce the idea that Every Child Matters.
Additional information about the town’s plans for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is available at www.townofstmarys.com/reconciliation.
