The spirit of Truth and Reconciliation was alive and on full display in downtown Huntsville earlier today.
River Mill Park was a sea of orange shirts, flags, and ribbons, as more than 100 people attended the 4th annual Orange Shirt Day activities as part of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Main Street was closed off as the group marched in front of Town Hall before returning to the park to hear speeches, be a part of smudging and listen to songs.
“We’re here as witnesses of remembrance,” said Joyce Jonathan Crone, President of Hope Arises Project Inc., who helped organize the event. “We’re looking to find hope in the ashes of the past.”
September 30 is a national day to commemorate the tragic history and healing journey of residential school survivors, their families and the children who never returned home.
Crone, who grew up on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve and is a second-generation residential school survivor, read several first-hand accounts from other residential school survivors. The harrowing accounts detailed the extreme hardship faced by residential school survivors and their experiences of being stripped away from their homes and culture.
“It was Canada’s darkest kept secret,” said Crone. “There are thousands and thousands of lost, voiceless children and this is a truth that must be addressed.”
Ribbons were handed out to the attendees, each one with the name of a child who had attended a residential school. Attendees were encouraged to tie the ribbons to trees in the park to remember the names of survivors.
“We are making a commitment to uncolonize,” said Crone. “Our elders say it will take seven generations to recover from the genocide.”
A local screening of the film The Nature of Healing: Voices of Mohawk Institute Survivors is being held tonight at the Algonquin Theatre at 7 p.m. The Nature of Healing, an internationally award-winning film documentary, is the story of seven Survivors of The Mohawk Institute in Brantford, Ontario.
While the Township of Lake of Bays honoured the history and heritage of the Anishinaabeg people, the original inhabitants of Lake of Bays.
Meanwhile in Bracebridge, Mayor Rick Maloney, members of council and the community gathered at the Municipal Office to raise the Survivors Flag in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Similarly, in Gravenhurst council and staff gathered in front of the municipal office to raise the Every Child Matters Flag.
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Thank you Hope Arises Project and Joyce Crone for helping to guide a journey of healing. And thank you for giving voice to all of the voiceless children. Every Child Matters!