Belleville, Ontario, September 30, 2021 – This week, Loyalist College honours the children who were taken from their communities and placed in the Indian Residential School System, and marks Canada’s national legacy of systemic discrimination and colonization with Truth and Reconciliation Week. Led by the College’s Indigenous Resource Centre and in keeping with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s (NCTR) Reconciliation Week, events hosted on campus and resources shared with the College community are designed to encourage collective reflection, remembrance and dialogue about the Residential School System and the work of decolonization in our communities.
“At Loyalist College, we believe we have an ethical and moral responsibility to reflect upon our role in reconciliation with Indigenous peoples by educating ourselves on the Indigenous history, cultures, the legacy of systemic discrimination and the Residential School System’s enduring impact on First Nation, Métis and Inuit children, families, and communities,” said Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, Loyalist College President and CEO. “Our entire Loyalist College Community, both past and present, must accept its role as being part of this shared history of Canada and the First Peoples who have lived on traditional lands long before colonization began 500 years ago. During this year’s National Truth and Reconciliation Week, the College has been honouring the lives of lost children by hosting events and sharing resources about the legacy of Canada’s Indian Residential School System, decolonization, and the inception of Orange Shirt Day itself.”
On September 30, in recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Loyalist College students, employees and community members were invited to participate in discussion, ceremonial smudging and a traditional offering of tobacco ties held at the A’nó:wara Learning Circle, an outdoor space on campus dedicated to the promotion of Indigenous culture, tradition, and ceremony.
On October 1, a video presentation and discussion on the Residential School System will take place in the College’s Indigenous Resource Centre, addressing the concepts of ethnostress and intergenerational trauma.
Click here to view the full schedule of Loyalist College’s Truth and Reconciliation Week events and to access educational resources.
About Loyalist College
Loyalist College is located on the territory of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, and the Haudenosaunee people. We acknowledge our shared obligation to respect, honour, and sustain these lands and the natural resources contained within. Ranked one of Canada’s top 50 research colleges and #1 in the country for industry research income as a percentage of total research income, Loyalist College empowers students, faculty, staff, and partners through experiential, industry cluster-based education, training and applied research programs. As Ontario’s Destination College, the College provides job-ready graduates for, and knowledge transfer to, industry and the community. Of 2018-19 Loyalist graduates, 88.8 percent were employed within six months after graduation. Located on more than 200 acres in the beautiful Bay of Quinte region, the College is perfectly positioned between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Loyalist College offers more than 70 full-time diploma, certificate and apprenticeship programs in biosciences, building sciences, business, community service, health and wellness, media studies, public safety, and skilled trades. Continuing education options are available through LoyalistFocus.com, including hundreds of online, distance and in-class courses, and through the College’s 100+ university transfer agreements. Loyalist College is a key driver of social and economic health in eastern Ontario. It contributes 3.7 percent of the Gross Regional Product, representing $382 million annually to the regional economy – based on a March 2020 report by Emsi. For more information on Loyalist College’s Belleville, Bancroft and Toronto campuses and Port Hope satellite location, visit YoureGoingPlaces.com.
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