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Orange Shirt Day: Honour the Journey-Commit To Reconciliation

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People across Canada will be wearing orange Wednesday in support of residential school survivors.

This year’s theme of Tikinagan Child and Family Services’ campaign is Honour the Journey: Commit to Reconciliation.

Executive Director of Tikinagan, Thelma Morris explains what they strive to accomplish by promoting Orange Shirt Day every year.

“By wearing orange, people can stand together with Indigenous peoples and honour the journey of resilience our peoples have made. Without the strength, courage and hope of our peoples, agencies like ours would not exist. We are a community based child and family well-being agency rooted in and accountable to the First Nations communities we serve because of the visionaries who fought against adversity to retain our rights and culture as First Nations.”

September 30th has been declared as Orange Shirt Day, to acknowledge the effects of residential school and to support reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

The date was chosen because it marks the time of year when children were taken from their homes to residential schools and presents an opportunity to set anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the school year.

Morris says acknowledgments like this are a step towards healing, awareness and reconciliation.

“I think it’s important to recognize anti-racism and anti-bullying because as indigenous peoples that is part of our history. Indigenous peoples never had a choice if they could stay at home and keep their kids at home. So we want to encourage anti-bulling, including cyber-bullying because you see a lot of negative media around indigenous population-stereotyping. So we’re hoping that we can create awareness that we’re still on a healing journey.

Morris adds it’s important to continue the conversation about residential schools and it’s affect on Indigenous people to this day.

“We do need to honour every person’s story about residential schools and making sure we continue to be open and talk about the history and generational trauma that we still see within our people.”

Tikinagan encourages Northwestern Ontario and the 30 First Nations they serve to acknowledge Orange Shirt Day, take the day as an opportunity to listen to Indigenous peoples and move forward towards reconciliation.

You can read more about Orange Shirt Day here.

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Tikinagan Pleased With End Of Birth Alerts

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Sioux Lookout based Tikinagan Child and Family Services is backing a provincial move to end birth alerts by the end of October.

The current practice allows children’s aid societies to alert a hospital when authorities suspect an Indigenous newborn may need help or be at risk.

Tikinagan Executive Director Thelma Morris says the decision puts an end to decades of systematic discrimination, disproportionate representation, and biases toward First Nation families and communities.

Morris says in most cases, birth alerts don’t support their goal of protecting children while supporting families to stay together.

She adds every new mother and father need to be treated with respect, not negatively impacted because of an alert that might result in judgement with discriminatory measures.

Morris notes the ceasing of birth alerts is just a start.

Morris says their traditions used to be that birthing at home was the norm but this was taken away from their people with birth alerts.

She adds Tikinagan is actively working to strengthen relationships and improve approaches in urban hospitals who serve families from their 30 member First Nations.

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Video: PM Helps Celebrate Local Honour Our Children Day

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Some high profile leaders, including the Prime Minister, have come together to celebrate Tikinagan Child and Family Services and its annual ‘Honouring Our Children Day’ Wednesday.

The Sioux Lookout based agency has released a four-minute video package to remind everyone how important and special children area.

Executive Director Thelma Morris says “This is done in the true spirit of our service model Mamow Obiki-ahwahsoowin, which means ‘everyone working together to raise our children.’ The messages are just one way we can celebrate what this day means to our children, families, communities, and staff.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated “Our country will celebrate with Tikinagan Child and Family Services on their annual ‘Honouring Our Children Day’. This year our world is looking a little different right now and making children feel special at a time like this takes a community effort.”

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler says “Since 2010 ‘Honouring Our Children Day’ is recognized throughout the summer and into the fall by the agency and each of the 30 First Nation communities.”

Sioux Lookout Mayor Doug Lawrance joined Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa to deliver the following message.

“This important day is just one way to remind children how awesome, amazing, super, incredible, smart, fun, strong, and special they are.”

The video also includes Sandy Lake First Nation Chief and Council, City of Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro, Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies CEO Nicole Bonnie, Association of Native Child and Family Services Agencies of Ontario Elder in Residence Danette Restoule, Kenora MP Eric Melillo, Former Indigenous NHL’er Jason Simon and Tikinagan staff.

The video can be viewed below