THUNDER BAY — Lakehead University is closed for the day to mark the fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Occurring simultaneously with Orange Shirt Day, Sept. 30 is a federal statutory holiday and day of remembrance for Indigenous children who never came home from Canadian residential schools, as well as those who survived them.
More than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend government-funded, church-operated residential schools from the 1870s until as late as 1997.
According to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, more than 4,100 children of these children are estimated to have died while attending the schools.
In a social media post, Lakehead University said it encouraged all members of the community to engage in reconciliation activities and reflect on how each person can contribute to fostering truth and reconciliation.
It said this is especially critical since Lakehead’s campuses are located on the traditional lands of Fort William First Nation and the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg, specifically the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, a member of the Chippewa Tri-Council and Three Fires Confederacy.
Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots initiative intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”.
