Orange Shirt Day
Louise Legault
Hi Everyone,
You may have already seen it on the portal but this message is to let everyone know that we have a special event happening in my class on Monday (Oct. 2nd). For the first half of class we are hosting an Orange Shirt Day event in P-204 at 11:30am.
The event will begin with a screening of It Had To Be Done, a film produced by the National Film Board of Canada and directed by Tessa Desnomie. It explores the legacy of residential schools through the eyes of two extraordinary women who not only lived it firsthand, but who, as adults, made the surprising choice to return to the school that had affected their lives so profoundly. This intimate and moving film affirms their strength and dignity in standing up and making a difference on their own terms.
Following the film, Kakaionstha, a Mohawk elder from Kahnawake will discuss her healing journey as a residential school survivor. Kakaionstha Deer is a member of the Snipe clan, and Kanien'kehá:ka elder from Kahnawà:ke. When she was six years old, her family broke up and her mother decided to send her and her older sister Ida to Spanish residential school, nearly 800 km from her home in Kahnawà:ke. Kakaionstha and Ida stayed at the school for three years. She will discuss her journey of healing from her negative experiences in the residential school system. We will also have present Helen Montour from Kahnawà:ke who spearheads the Orange Shirt Day events in Kahnawà:ke, and she is a second generation survivor.
Everyone is welcome to the event, and you are asked to please wear an orange shirt to honour residential school survivors.
Thanks,
Ryan
Ryan Young
Media Arts Department
John Abbott College