On Sept. 29 and 30, the York community gathered to reflect on the legacy of Canada’s residential school system. The archives of the livestreamed events are now available to view. 

Friday, Sept. 30, marked the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (formerly Orange Shirt Day). The day honours the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. Two public events were organized at York University as part of the community’s efforts to engage with and reflect on the truths of residential schools and the impact of colonialism.

On Sept. 29, the first event featured a lecture by Professor Paulette Steeves, Canada Research Chair in Healing at Reconciliation at Algoma University. The archived broadcast of Steeves’ lecture, titled “Reclaiming and Rewriting Indigenous Histories of the Western Hemisphere (the Americas),” can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq_Dvt9Br8M&t=4s. 

On Friday, Sept. 30, University community members met online for the panel discussion “Reflecting on the Legacies of Residential Schools: What it means for our present and our futures.” The panel discussion was moderated by Associate Vice-President Indigenous Initiatives and Faculty of Education Professor Susan Dion, and can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apuvOEjBaHg&t=10s.

For more information on these and other events, and for resources to support individual learning, visit York’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation website. 

Article originally published in the September 30, 2022 issue of Yfile