What’s up: Events for Truth and Reconciliation Day

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This article was published 29/09/2022 (1393 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Friday, Sept. 30, is the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Canada’s newest federal statutory holiday commemorating the painful and ongoing legacy of the country’s Indian Residential School System.

Also known as Orange Shirt Day, the public is encouraged to take time to learn, reflect and engage in reconciliation in meaningful ways. Keep reading for a roundup of some of the events and activities taking place on Fri., Sept. 30 in Winnipeg.

Special programming at the WAG

11:15 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Winnipeg Art Gallery, 300 Memorial Ave.

General admission

The Winnipeg Art Gallery is hosting a full day of workshops, discussions and art activities to mark Orange Shirt Day.

Events start just after 11 a.m., with a screening of educational videos created by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), followed by a live broadcast of the centre’s Remembering the Children program dedicated to those who died at residential schools across the country.

Join Sean Carleton at 1:30 op.m. for the launch of his new book, Lessons in Legitimacy: Colonialism, Capitalism, and the Rise of State Schooling in British Columbia. A panel discussion on the history of residential schools will follow.

At 4 p.m., WAG-Qaumajuq associate curator of Inuit art, Jocelyn Piirainen, will lead visitors on a tour of the INUA and Kakiniit Hivonighijotaa: Inuit Embodied Practices and Meaning exhibits. A family-friendly art workshop takes place in Eckhart Hall throughout the day.

Admission fees collected tomorrow will be donated to the NCTR; self-identifying First Nations, Métis, and Inuit visitors are welcome to attend free of charge. Visit wag.ca for more information.

— Eva Wasney

Orange Shirt Days @ the Manitoba Museum

Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Manitoba Museum, 190 Rupert Ave.

Free admission

In honour of Orange Shirt Day, the Manitoba Museum is offering a weekend of special programming from Friday, Sept. 30 through Sunday, Oct. 2, and is waiving admission fees to all galleries, the planetarium and the science gallery.

Programming to help mark Orange Shirt Day includes videos from the National Centre on Truth and Reconciliation, a Manitoba Cares station, where visitors can share their thoughts on reconciliation, and a self-guided tour through galleries that highlights exhibits with connections to the history of Indian residential schools.

Additionally, the planetarium will be showing Legends of the Northern Sky, a presentation which highlights the important connections between Indigenous culture and the night sky in storytelling, tradition and more.

Orange Shirt Days @ the Manitoba Museum runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. No tickets are required, although space in the planetarium and science gallery are limited. Visitors are invited to wear orange. For more see manitobamuseum.com.

— Ben Sigurdson

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at the Manitoba Children’s Museum

Sept. 30, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Manitoba Children’s Museum, 45 Forks Market Rd.

Free admission

The Manitoba Children’s Museum will honour those who survived Canada’s residental school system and the children who never came home with programming aimed at education and reflection for visitors of all ages.

From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., visitors can express their creativity by taking part in Métis moccasin and paper vest workshops, led by Louis Riel Institute.

Free general admission will be available on a first-come, first-served, and visitors are encouraged to wear orange shirts.

— Jen Zoratti

Ceremonies at The Forks and convention centre commemmorate national day’s second anniversary

A series of events is scheduled for downtown Winnipeg Friday to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.

A pipe ceremony will take place at the Oodena Circle at The Forks at 10 a.m., which will be followed by a survivors’ walk at 11 a.m., which will be led by the Oyate Techa Riders. The walk begins at The Forks and makes its way to the RBC Convention Centre.

The Wa-Say Healing Centre will host the second annual Orange Shirt Day Pow Wow, with the grand entry beginning at 1 p.m. Admission is free.

The Dakota Hotain Singers from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation will lead the drum ceremony, joined by the Long Eagle Singers and Whitehorse singers. Other drum groups are invited to take part as well.

The event will also honour Raymond Mason, a Manitoba residential-school survivor who died in March at age 75.

Mason worked for gaining justice and recognition for those who were forced to attend the schools, where many students were abused. That included helping with the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement with the federal government and a class-action lawsuit for day-school survivors.

His advocacy led to him receiving a honorary doctorate of laws from Queens University in Kingston, Ont.

— Alan Small

Make time to read, watch, listen

While there are dozens of events happening around the city Friday to honour the spirit of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, it’s also important to make time to independently learn, build understanding, and contemplate. A great way to do that is by reading, watching, or listening to stories and music created by Indigenous people.

The Winnipeg Public Library has compiled lists of books about racism and anti-racism for all age levels, including many books focusing on the experiences of Indigenous people. The library has also compiled specific reading lists about residential schools for all age levels, with titles like Christy Jordan-Fenton’s When I Was Eight or Rita Joe’s I Lost My Talk among the selections for younger children.

On the Indigenous Music website, Manitoba Music keeps tabs on all Indigenous-made music in Manitoba, with links to new releases, upcoming shows (like Brandi Vezina, Oct. 1 at the Roland Pumpkin Festival) and playlists of some of the province’s most exciting and essential acts. This month’s playlist, Madwewetoon, was curated by Thompson’s Dag Deschambeault, featuring work from Manitoba artists like The Resilience (Hellnback & Lisa Muswagon), Mattmac and Caid Jones.

On APTN’s television channel, programming will run all day, but for on-demand viewing, check out the network’s YouTube channel, where hundreds of videos and short documentaries are available for free. Next week, Cinematheque will be screening director Madison Thomas’ documentary Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On, which debuted to rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival. Showtimes can be found here.

— Ben Waldman

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