Red Deer Polytechnic holds Truth and Reconciliation Week on campus
For the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) is holding various activities and engagement initiatives throughout the week.
The National Day, held September 30, aims to honour First Nations, Inuit and Métis Survivors, their families and their communities, working towards reconciliation through public commemoration of their history.
Known as “Orange Shirt Day”, officials say the day also symbolizes the stripping of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by the many generations of Indigenous children and families through the residential school system.
The name was inspired by Phyllis (Jack) Webstad’s story, a Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) woman from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band) in British Columbia and founder of The Orange Shirt Society. Given an orange shirt by her grandmother for her first day at the Missions residential school in 1973, she says the staff stripped her of her clothes, never returning her orange shirt.