Oakville providing residents opportunity to learn more about Indigenous culture

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Published September 8, 2022 at 12:58 pm

The Town of Oakville will be providing local residents the opportunity to recognize the residential school experience and learn more about Indigenous culture leading up to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, including visiting Oakville's first orange crosswalk at Thomas St. and Church St. TOWN OF OAKVILLE PHOTO

The Town of Oakville is offering ways you can reflect, learn and participate on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Over the next few weeks, the town will be providing local residents the opportunity to recognize the residential school experience and learn more about Indigenous culture.

Residents will be able to reflect on the generational impact, trauma and oppression endured by Indigenous peoples in Canada as a result of the residential school system.

“As we reflect, remember, and honour the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I encourage residents to participate and engage in  activities offered to learn more about, and support, Indigenous communities,” said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton.

“The town remains committed to reconciliation and will continue to do its part in addressing the calls to action.”

Activities residents can participate in include:

  • Wear an orange shirt to raise awareness about the intergenerational impact and trauma residential schools have had on Indigenous communities and make a donationto the Orange Shirt Society to support their work in commemorating the residential school experience and fostering reconciliation.
  • Participate in a walk that begins at the first orange crosswalk in Oakville at the intersection of Thomas and Church streets on Sunday, September 25 at 1:30 p.m.
  • Participate in a virtual woodland paint class with two-spirit Ojibway artist Patrick Hunter on Friday, September 9 from 7-9 p.m. This class is part of Community Conversations with OPL, which focuses on Indigenous Arts, Culture and Voices this month. Registerat opl.ca.
  • Watch Indigenous films on the grounds of Oakville Museum on September 23 from 6-11 p.m. The night, presented in association with Indigenous community leaders, OPL and other community partners, will feature the Honour to Senator Murray Sinclairand Hi-Ho Mistahey!  Prior to the movie, Grandmother’s Voice and Our Kids Network will be leading a beading craft activity in the Coach House while OPL will be sharing book recommendations based on the movies’ themes.
  • Join Christine Friday as she explores her Anishinaabek roots, first with the film Path Without End, a 10-minute documentary dance film as we witness the Friday family taking back their power from Shingwauk residential school and speaking their truth on their traditional tribal family hunting territoryon September 30 at 8 p.m. For free tickets to the in-person event or the live stream event, visit oakvillecentre.ca.
  • Visit Oakville’s first orange crosswalkat Thomas and Church streets, which has been painted orange in honour of children of the residential school system. The intersection also features a utility cabinet cover in a Moccasin Identifier Project design of four moccasins representative of the four linguistic groups in Ontario and a permanent interpretive sign.
  • Enjoy a walk along the Moccasin Trailsand explore the history of the lands from an Indigenous perspective. Follow the Moccasin Trails signs along Bronte Creek Heritage Trail beginning at Rebecca Street and Mississauga Street and along Sixteen Mile Creek Inner Valley to Dundas Street West at Lions Valley.
  • Visit Tannery Parkand explore the First Nations history wall and Moccasin Identifier, which was built to promote public awareness of the significant cultural historic sites and the ancestral presence of First Nations, Métis and Indigenous communities.
  • Make a traditional hairpipe bracelet with Indigenous artist Naomi Smith through a virtual workshop on Saturday, October 1 from 2-4 p.m. Registerat opl.ca.
  • Celebrate Indigenous culture and community through Planting Our Seeds: Resurgence of Indigenous Voices from October 5 to November 30. More details to come.

Oakville is “rich” in the history and modern traditions of many First Nations and the Métis. From the lands of the Anishinabe to the Attawandaron, the Haudenosaunee, and the Métis, these lands surrounding the Great Lakes are steeped in Indigenous history.

Oakville will also be flying the “Every Child Matters” orange flag at Town Hall during the week of September 26 and lowered to half-mast on September 30.

Town Hall and the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts will also be lit orange during the week of September 26.

For more activities and information about the town’s Truth and Reconciliation efforts, visit here.

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