Indigenous lawyer Eleanore Sunchild, left, with Living Sky School Division Indigenous Learning Consultant Sherron Burns recognize Orange Shirt Day at the site of the former Battleford Industrial School on Sept. 30. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Learning From the Past

Orange Shirt Day recognized with annual walk, classroom & virtual learning

Sep 30, 2020 | 6:28 PM

People in the Battlefords recognized Orange Shirt Day with an annual walk, as well as through classroom and virtual learning this year.

The aim of the day on Sept. 30 is to remember residential school survivors, and those who never made it home.

Following COVID-19 precautions, a small group of supporters took part in a walk to the Battleford Industrial School Cemetery to honour and pray for the children buried at the site. A cairn was erected at the gravesite in 1975 to recognize the 74 individuals buried there, most of whom were children.

Indigenous lawyer Eleanore Sunchild said she hopes the event helps raise awareness.

“People need to realize that Indian residential schools were not 100 years ago,” she said. “The legacy is recent.”

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Sunchild said the last residential school in Canada did not close until 1997.

Battleford Industrial School Cemetery cairn. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

John Paul II Collegiate in North Battleford was among the schools learning about the importance of Orange Shirt Day.

The school recognized the day to honour survivors of residential schools and remember those who did not survive.

Students at John Paul II Collegiate also learned about Orange Shirt Day. (Submitted photo/John Paul II Collegiate)

JPII had a T-shirt design contest for students with a focus on the message that “Every Child Matters,” and that all of its students matter.

Cut Knife Community School honoured former residential school students with a project for Orange Shirt Day.

Students reflected on stories from the past, discussed the impact felt today, as well as their commitment to a future that is free from racism.

A video of the project is available through the Cut Knife Community School Facebook Page.

Living Sky School Division Indigenous Learning Consultant Sherron Burns said students studied the topic in their classrooms and virtually this year, because they were not able to travel to the site of the former Battleford Industrial School to take part in the walk due to pandemic restrictions.

Burns said the residential school issue involves all Canadians, because it’s a shared story about a difficult part of the nation’s past.

She said by learning the history, hopefully people will be able to make a positive change for the future.

Burns said through Cut Knife Community School’s video project on Orange Shirt Day “students are sharing their thoughts about history and why it’s so important that we come to terms with it, acknowledge it, accept it, and make reconciliation for it.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW