The Dibaajimowin Cultural Centre hosted an event to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day in Memorial Park in Port Hope on Monday, September 30, 2024.
The event was open to everyone and the focus is to share and learn about Indigenous peoples, to support Residential School Survivors and honour those children who did not make it home.
Among the afternoons events were hand drum singers, a large canoe drum called a canundrum and hearing stories.
Organizer of the event, Marsha Smoke offered a blessing, saying, Mother earth has provided us with everything we need. The earth, the wind, the fire and the water. Today we offered tobacco and our prayers to the 150,000 children who were taken far away from their homes and families to residential schools, the survivors and those who did not make it home.
Let this be a sacred place today for our minds to come together to honour the children, their families and all of you here today in this special place”
Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky said that Truth and Reconciliation day is extremely important.
“As a Council and as a community we have stated our commitment to honour it. We have stated our commitment to truth and reconciliation. And we are not only just reading land acknowledgments at the beginning of our meetings, but we are working on actions and projects in collaboration with Alderville First Nation to ensure that reconciliation means something for this community.”
“We have a responsibility to never forget our history, to learn from it and acknowledge the work that still remains in front of us.”
Timothy Smoke from Alderville said Indigenous people have known about what truth and reconciliation long before it was publicized.
Smoke said it’s not only about acknowledging the day, but realizing more work has to be done.
“It’s about sharing space, but allowing the conversation to take wherever it goes.”
“If you have the day off – take the time.”
Smoke said acknowledging truth and reconciliation is getting better – slowly.
“We see the positive things that are happening in the community, but we also know there is a lot of education still needs to be done.”
Advocacy in health care is just one of the items Smoke feels strongly about.
“And the understanding of individuality in that care.”
“We have Indigenous people in our hospitals are going to hospitals and they’re not receiving the right treatment, or the right respect. If we’re all navigating the system we should be able to make it work fluidly for all of us.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
