Working Towards Reconciliation

The annual Orange Shirt Day on September 30th opens the door to global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools. It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. A discussion all Canadians can tune into and create bridges with each other for reconciliation. A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected. Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.
From the Orange Shirt Day Website

Orange Shirt Day, now known as The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is an opportunity for all Canadians to consider the impacts of the residential school system. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate were a part of this system; we oversaw forty-eight of these schools – more than any other single religious organization. Today, the Oblates are committed to listening humbly to the stories of Indigenous peoples and learning from them.

We are further committed to ensuring that the history of the residential schools contained in our records is available to survivors, the families of the children who did not return home from the schools, and Indigenous communities. Our commitment can be seen in our joint statement with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, released on July 5 of this year.

As a small sign of our commitment to The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation goals, we have added orange highlights to our website for the coming weeks. In addition, we’ve created a new page on our site containing a variety of information and articles related to Indigenous issues and the work toward truth and reconciliation.

The document, What We Have Learned from the TRC states, “Together, Canadians must do more than just talk about reconciliation; we must learn how to practise reconciliation in our everyday lives—within ourselves and our families, and in our communities, governments, places of worship, schools, and workplaces.”

Our sincere hope is that our small steps will be a visual reminder of the role played by the Missionary Oblates in the residential school system and our own need to fully participate in the practise of reconciliation.