Thousands march in Winnipeg for Orange Shirt Day | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Several thousand people dressed in Orange marched through downtown Winnipeg on Monday to commemorate the dark history of residential schools for Indigenous people in Canada.

The 4th annual walk hosted by the Wa-Say Healing Center left The Forks at 11:00 a.m. and traveled to the Winnipeg Convention Centre, for a powwow beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Marcher Naomi Kay says she participated in the march to support residential school survivors and victims. She wanted ensuring they feel the love and support they did not have through generations and as childrenshe said.

This is a very recent thing in our history, and we want to make sure no one forgets itshe adds.

Corrine Earl participated in this family walk. She hopes this event will help her children get involved in reconciliation efforts.

I see how residential schools had a really negative effect on many families and children in our country, and I find this injustice to be pitiful and truly sad. So I would like to make efforts towards reconciliation and incorporate the family for that tooshe explains.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has been held every September 30 since 2021 in honor of the children who died or disappeared in Indigenous residential schools as well as the survivors.

September 30 is also known as Orange Shirt Day, in honor of the story of Phyllis Webstad. An orange sweater given to him by his grandmother was taken from him on his first day at a residential school in British Columbia in 1973.

Residential school and Sixties Scoop survivor Joseph Maud says the best way to achieve reconciliation is to educate younger generations.

Ojibwe, Cree, Dakota, all these languages ​​should be taught in schools, just like French and Englishhe says.

I was forced to learn French in fourth grade. I had no choice. So we should all have this opportunity. Non-Indigenous children should have the opportunity to learn Ojibwe or Cree. These are magnificent languageshe continues.

A solemn day

The powwow’s master of ceremonies, Michael Esquash Sr., held a moment of silence for the children who did not return from residential schools. According to the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation, at least 4,118 children died there.

Today is a victory for all our nationshe told the crowd.

In Manitoba, September 30 is a statutory holiday for the first time this year.

The province’s premier, Wab Kinew, said during the powwow that this means that every child, every parent, every family has time today to honor survivors.

He recalled that his father was a student at Saint-Mary’s residential school near Kenora, Ontario. When he was a little boy, I don’t think he could have imagined seeing what we are all witnessing todayhe said.

The Prime Minister danced in ceremonial attire at the powwow. By doing this, we make the survivors proud, because we prove that the people who created the residential schools failedhe continues.

A video paying tribute to the late Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Cathy Merrick, was also played at the event. She died suddenly in September.

The chief of the Minegoziibe Anishinabe First Nation (also called Pine Creek), Derek Nepinak, emphasizes that September 30 is not a day of celebration.

It is a commemoration and we are here to remember our family members and our ancestorshe said, during the march. He says his thoughts were with his mother, a residential school survivor. This day is for youhe says.

The chief adds that he was happy to see a good number of non-Native people at the event. They wake up to know that we survivedsaid Derek Nepinak.

They are learning the real history of this land, and I am full of gratitude seeing so many different people from all over the world starting to participate.

With information from Karen Pauls, Mike Arsenault and Natalia Weichsel

If the topic of residential schools causes you psychological distress, you can contact the Hope for Wellness Crisis Line toll-free at 1-855-242-3310 or the National Issues Resolution Crisis Line Indian Residential Schools at 1-866-925-4419.