U of T prepares to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:06:56 +0000

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 09/27/2024 - 09:06

Cutline

The Survivors' Flag, raised at U of T Varsity Stadium on Sept. 20, will be lowered to half-mast on Sept. 30, when the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is observed across Canada (photo by Jill Clark)

Jelena Damjanovic

Melinda Mattos

Topic

Our Community

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Orange Shirt Day

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Indigenous

St. George

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

The Survivors’ Flag, which honours Indigenous lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada, has been raised across the University of Toronto’s three campuses as the community prepares to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.

On the St. George campus, the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), in partnership with First Nations House and the U of T Office of Indigenous Initiatives, raised the Survivors’ Flag at Varsity Stadium earlier this month.

It will be lowered to half-mast on Sept. 30 when the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is formally recognized across Canada.

U of T Mississauga (photo by Julia Le)

Flags have also been raised at U of T Scarborough and U of T Mississauga.

“Recognizing the painful history of Canada’s residential school system, and the tragic consequences that are still being felt today, is a vital component of the reconciliation process,” said Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.

“It’s also a time for settlers to reflect on what they can do to strengthen relationships with Indigenous Peoples in order to build a better future together.”

The U of T community is invited to honour the experiences of residential school survivors by joining a tri-campus event being held in the Great Hall at Hart House on Sept. 30 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Participants will have the option to register to attend the event in person or register to watch the live-stream on YouTube.

The event will feature a keynote address by Shirley Cheechoo, Canadian Cree actor, artist, filmmaker and founder of Weengushk Film Institute, who will be introduced by Benji Jacob, a fourth-year psychology student from U of T Mississauga. There will also be a land acknowledgement by Jay-Daniel Baghbanan, a student at the Faculty of Music and vice-president of student life at the faculty’s undergraduate association, welcoming remarks from David Kim, warden of Hart House and remarks by U of T President Meric Gertler and William Gough, acting vice-president of U of T and acting principal of U of T Scarborough. U of T Chancellor Wes Hall will deliver closing remarks.

U of T Scarborough (photo by Harry Xu)

While wearing any orange shirt is a show of solidarity, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives has partnered with the U of T Bookstore on a limited supply of orange t-shirts that feature an award-winning design by MJ Singleton, an Ojibwe, two-spirit student from Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation who is studying at U of T Mississauga. All proceeds from the sale of the shirts will be directed to the Orange Shirt Society.

Members of the U of T community are also encouraged to use the Orange Shirt Day virtual background and profile icon, featuring Singleton's design.

More than 10,000 U of T community members take part in Indigenous cultural competency training

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 21:05:10 +0000

More than 10,000 U of T community members take part in Indigenous cultural competency training

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 04/12/2024 - 17:05

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John Croutch, Indigenous training co-ordinator and a member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation, says he hopes participants walk away from his sessions with a greater understanding of the impacts of settler colonialism and its focus on the erasure of Indigenous Peoples (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Indigenous Initiatives

Truth and Reconciliation

Subheadline

In response to high demand, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives at U of T has hired a second training co-ordinator to deliver four-part learning series

The University of Toronto’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives has hit a milestone in its educational efforts: providing Indigenous cultural competency training to more than 10,000 students, staff, faculty and librarians across the university.

John Croutch, Indigenous training co-ordinator and a member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation, leads the four-part learning series, which explores Canada’s hidden history of Indigenous-settler relations, the impact of state decisions and policies, the role of land acknowledgments, and the nature of allyship.

“Reconciliation is about building a relationship between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Peoples so that we can see that we are not so different,” says Croutch, who joined the Office of Indigenous Initiatives in 2018.

“As you start to build those relationships, you start to feel more comfortable around Indigenous Peoples because you know what we've been through.”

Given high demand for the sessions, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives recently hired a second Indigenous training co-ordinator, Andrea Johns, to support the delivery of programming and create more opportunities for engagement.

Croutch says he hopes participants walk away from his sessions with a greater understanding of the impacts of settler colonialism and its focus on the erasure of Indigenous Peoples.

“I hope it will help them understand some of the socioeconomic conditions that Indigenous Peoples live with and the fact that we were segregated in schools, hospitals and on reserves … in the past, the average Canadian could never build a relationship with us,” he says. “But that’s beginning to change.”

While the training sessions touch on uncomfortable truths that can be difficult for many Canadians to hear, Croutch’s expansive knowledge, strong facilitation skills and willingness to share lived experiences allow him to connect deeply with learners.

“John is a talented trainer who is able to deliver complex and challenging content in a way that informs the participant without placing blame and offers solutions and a path forward in reconciliation efforts,” says Shannon Simpson, senior director of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. “He has been able to reach community members who may not otherwise have considered this important and, in doing so, has shifted views and opinions.”

Participants’ feedback echo these sentiments. They describe Croutch as “a deeply engaged and passionate expert” who “challenges us with uncomfortable truths in a way that inspires further reflection and learning.”

Another participant described the sessions as “the history lesson we should have gotten in school.”

While Croutch says he still encounters some individuals who want to debate the history or challenge his teachings, he’s seen a shift in how people react to the training over the years.

“I have noticed a definite upswing in awareness and less resistance than I did in 2019,” he says. “I believe that the university is doing much more to facilitate that awareness of Indigenous presence and futurity … for example, Indigenous land acknowledgments, the accommodation of smudging, the Ziibiing landscape project, the Maanjiwe nendamowinan building at the Mississauga campus, Feather Bearers at convocation, and the Indigenous Tuition Initiative to name a few.

“There is also less resistance to the trainings, I believe, because as more people train, the resisters are beginning to become the outliers.”