Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Office for Indigenous Peoples-2025

Office for Indigenous Peoples-2025 / SFU Reconciliation / 2024 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
SFU's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation graphic is a subtle expression of Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing), a guiding principle developed by Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall that recognizes better outcomes are more likely if we bring two or more perspectives into collaboration. The design was developed between SFU designers and the Office for Aboriginal Peoples. The image suggests Western perspective (SFU’s AQ) in partnership with the Indigenous perspective (Longhouse facade) to advance Truth and Reconciliation.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30th marks the annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. It is a time for reflection and a time to come together in the spirit of Reconciliation, and to honour those who have been impacted by Canada’s residential school system.

SFU’s events and activities to commemorate Orange Shirt Day will take place during the weeks of September 23 and September 30 across our three campuses. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to wear orange during this time to pay respect and stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities across Canada.

Upholding Truth and Reconciliation is also one of SFU's strategic priorities. Learn more about What's Next for Truth and Reconciliation at SFU.

We call on all of us who are settlers on these lands to deepen your understanding of the history and ongoing legacy of residential schools, to participate in initiatives happening across the university and consider what commitments you can make and actions you can take to advance Reconciliation.

Here are some ways for you to get involved:

Attend an event:

SFU Film Screening: Sugarcane
September 24, 2-4 p.m. | SFU Indigenous Council Office
Leslie & Gordon Diamond Family Auditorium SFU

Join us for a special screening of SUGARCANE, the award-winning debut feature documentary from Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie.

SFU Film Screening: Tea Creek
September 26, 6-8 p.m. | SFU Indigenous Council Office
SFU Segal Building - S 1200 -1500 Event rooms, 500 Granville Street Vancouver, BC

Join us for a special screening of Tea Creek, a feature documentary from Indigenous photographer and filmmaker, Ryan Dickie.

Faculty Reading Circle - Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies by Jo Chrona
September 26 | SFU Centre for Educational Excellence

Join faculty and colleagues in teaching roles as we launch a new reading circle for the fall term. We’ll meet weekly online for reflection, question and discussion in response to the book: Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies -An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education by Jo Chrona. This group is suitable for those beginning their journey in decolonial teaching as well as those looking to continue on this path with a shared community.

Orange Shirt Day at Holland Park
September 27 | Surrey Campus Administration, Office of Aboriginal Peoples, Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee

Join us at Holland Park on September 27 from 3-5 p.m. as we come together to honour survivors of the residential school system, their families, and to remember those who did not return. Hosted by the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee (SUILC) & Skookum Surrey, the event will foster dialogue and learning about BC's colonial history and how it continues to impact Indigenous communities today. Hear compelling stories, watch Indigenous dancers and listen to traditional drumming while enjoying locally prepared Bannock and tea. Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on the legacy of colonialism and commit to the ongoing process of Truth and Reconciliation.

Walk with us in unity and reflection. The annual Orange Shirt Day Drum March will begin at SFU Surrey E building at 2:30 p.m. This will mark the start of our gathering as we walk and drum from SFU to Holland Park, together. Your presence and participation carry deep significance and we encourage you to participate.

Remember to wear your orange shirt – a symbol of hope, reconciliation, and a commitment to a better future – to show your commitment to both truth and reconciliation.

Spread the word! We hope to reach as many community members as possible to foster a larger, more unified gathering. Tell your friends, family, neighbours, and coworkers about the event. We hope to see you there!

SFU Science Indgenous Speaker Series: Hannes Edinger
September 27 | SFU Burnaby campus

Hannes Edinger discusses how much of the value in our society is not traded in the market. While markets are useful for the allocation of scarce resources with certain attributes, they fail in important ways. We can, and should, learn from Indigenous values and worldviews to help address these failures. Edinger is an award-winning economist, a member of the Métis Nation, and the Managing Director of Big River Analytics.

Indigenizing Engineering Curriculum
September 27 | SFU Surrey campus

Join the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) for our latest SEE Dialogue event in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The event will include a panel discussion on Indigenizing engineering curriculum and will feature a diversity of Indigenous perspectives and experiences.

The event will feature a diversity of Indigenous perspectives and experiences.

Off the Shelf Reading Series: Brandi Bird & Wayde Compton
September 27 | 515 West Hastings St.

Presented by Department of English and Poetry in Canada

Please join SFU’s Department of English and Poetry in Canada for a poetry reading featuring Brandi Bird and Wayde Compton on Friday, September 27th (Doors: 6:30 p.m., Reading: 7 p.m.). This is the first reading in the Off the Shelf Poetry Reading Series taking place at SFU’s Belzberg Library (Harbour Centre campus). 

Orange Shirt Day at Grandview Park, 1657 Charles St. Vancouver, BC
September 30, 2024 | Britannia Community Services

11 a.m.-3 p.m.
11 a.m.: Walk from Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre (VACPC), 1719 Franklin St. to Grandview Park
12 noon: Traditional Welcome and Prayer...see poster for more details

Orange Shirt Day and Teaching Pow Wow at Queens Park
September 30, 2024 | Healing through understanding, Spirit of the Children Society (SOTCS), New Westminster

Join us at Queens Park on September 30 from noon-4 p.m. as we come together to honour National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and teaching Pow wow.

Unbroken: Disrupting Toxic Colonialism with Angela Sterritt
October 8, 2024 | Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre – SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 149 West Hastings Street, Vancouver

Through the power of story, acclaimed journalist and author Angela Sterritt shares an invitation to disrupt colonial violence, specifically as it relates to the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and two-spirit peoples.  Her book Unbroken, published by Greystone Books, is part memoir and part investigation into the murders and disappearances of Indigenous women and girls. It became an instant national bestseller in May 2023. Unbroken was nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Awards, one of Canada’s oldest and most prestigious literary prizes.  This event is presented by SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement and will be moderated by Ginger Gosnell-Myers.

BC First Nations Women’s, 2SLGBTQQIA+ Self-Determination, Rematriation & Research Governance Summit October 17, 2024 | SFU Wosk Centre, Vancouver

We are pleased to announce that the registration system is now open for the B.C. First Nations Women's, 2SLGBTQQIA+, Self-Determination & Rematriation Research Governance Summit- October 17 & 18, 2024 at the SFU Wosk Centre, Vancouver.

The River Knows What It Needs: Our Responsibility to the Fraser
October 18, 2024 | Katzie Community Centre

We will gather at the q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie) Village to share diverse stories about the health of the Fraser Watershed. Our conversations will be situated within the laws of the Land since time immemorial. We will consider the following and other related questions.

  1. What does the River need at this time? How do we listen for what the River needs?
  2. What are the rights of the Fraser and how might her rights be protected?
  3. What can we do to encourage people to change their ways?
  4. How do we bridge multiple worldviews to work in partnership with the land, in the service of the same goals?

Together we will envision what is needed to revitalize the River and to nourish her for generations to come as she nourishes us.

[Orange Shirt Day events across Lower Mainland and BC Communities]

Read and listen to Indigenous stories:

Resources for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
 

Updated September 19, 2024
It is an opportunity to reflect upon our country’s tragic and painful history and recognize the ongoing intergenerational trauma, including violence towards Indigenous women, children and two-spirit+ people.

Recognizing that reconciliation is a shared journey and responsibility of every Canadian, there are many ways for each of us commemorate the day individually and/or collectively.
Please view the PDF below to learn more about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and how you can show your support. [Honouring Truth and Reconciliation: A Guide to Observing September 30, 2024]

Phyllis Webstad message on Orange Shirt Day  


Understanding Key Indigenous Days

Did you know that June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day, a time to celebrate the rich cultures and contributions of Indigenous peoples across Canada?

On September 30, we observe Orange Shirt Day to honour survivors of residential schools and reflect on their experiences. Orange Shirt Day, established in 2013, invites people to engage in meaningful conversations about the legacy of residential schools, ensuring the topic remains current and relevant to everyone.

Several years later, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established as a statutory holiday to acknowledge the impacts of residential schools more broadly and promote reconciliation. Although also taking place on September 30, this did not replace Orange Shirt Day.

All Canadians are encouraged to engage in this important process of reflection and understanding.

Mental health supports:

The findings of the unmarked graves at former residential school sites and hidden and difficult truths have been revealed this past year. Supports are available for those who are navigating trauma.

Students:

Faculty and staff:

Community:

  • The Indian Residential School Survivors Society is available at 1-800-721-0066, along with a 24-hour crisis line at 1-866-925-4419 for those who need immediate support.
  • The KUU-US Crisis Line Society provides an Indigenous-specific crisis line available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's toll-free and can be reached at 1-800-588-8717.
  • The First Nations Health Authority offers support specifically for survivors and families who have been directly impacted by the Indian residential school system.

Show your support:

Orange shirts available at SFU

  • SFU's Bookstore and Spirit Shop (Burnaby campus) are selling Orange Shirt Day shirts for $14. All proceeds will go to the Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre which runs Community Indigenous Youth Programs in the Downtown Eastside.
  • SFU’s Vancouver Campus will be offering orange shirts by donation to honour those affected by Canada’s residential school system. Students, staff, and faculty can pick up their shirts at our office in Harbour Centre, room 2000 until Friday, September 27. All proceeds will go to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society. 

Zoom backgrounds

Download a Zoom background:

Get connected:

  • Reflect upon the Orange Shirt Day flags with the “Every Child Matters” emblem which will be displayed at half-mast at the Burnaby and Vancouver campuses from Sept 25 to Oct 2.
  • Connect with the Indigenous Student Centre to learn more about Orange Shirt Day, and download digital assets such as Zoom backgrounds. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for their Orange Shirt Day campaign.
  • Register for San’yas Anti-Racism Indigenous Cultural Safety Training, a unique, facilitated on-line training program designed to increase knowledge, enhance self-awareness, and strengthen the skills, available to both SFU faculty and staff.
  • Learn about reconciliation and decolonization with Nahanee Creative’s on-demand workshops, founded by SFU alumnus Michelle Nahanee.

Access resources:

Learning resources

 

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION STORIES

To add an event, initiative, resource to this page please connect with fiona@sfu.ca