Orange Shirt Day / Truth and Reconciliation
September 30th, Orange Shirt Day and now National Truth and Reconciliation Day, is a day to honour the journey of those who survived and did not survive the Residential school system, to
take the time to hear and acknowledge the truth and take action to ensure the past is never repeated. The spirit of this day, and the space held to hear the truth and engage in acts of reconciliation should continue past the 30th of September and into each day of our lives. Healing is a lifelong journey. Hulitan is honoring this journey through a collection of clothing that can be worn year-round to promote conversation and raise awareness of truth and reconciliation. We truly believe that every child matters every day…
This line of SWAG was created to support equal access to Mental Health Services for those Indigenous people who do not otherwise qualify for support (non-status, Metis etc). All profits from the sale of the collection will be held in account that will support adults in need a counselling/cultural healing that do not qualify for programs established by the government.
Maxwxeadziy-Geo Shaughnessy created and gifted the logo pictured above to us.
“The design is of an Eagle that has transformed over time after the residential schools were closed and we have started the process of reclaiming our lives, language and culture. I created this design for my mother Freda Shaughnessy (nee Coon) who was taken from her home and placed in St. Michael’s residential school in Alert Bay BC. She walked the halls at residential school past her three brothers and one sister and didn’t know they were her siblings. St Michael’s residential in Alert Bay was run by the Anglican Church and the purpose of the school was to assimilate, destroy and take over the resources from First Nations in Canada.”
Hulitan is truly honored to receive this gift and pay it forward. You can purchase the collection or donate at www.hulitan-s
Truth and Reconciliation is a shared journey for Indigenous and Nonindigenous people, although the path is different. For Indigenous people, reconciliation has occurred since colonization began. Indigenous people have had to reconcile their loss of connection to their land, to their songs and dance, and to their language. Indigenous people have endured horrific atrocities that are hard to recover from. Many Indigenous people will take their trauma and shame to their graves, leaving their families with many questions. Reconciliation with Indigenous people begins when the truth is fully understood and honoured.
For nonindigenous people it is a journey of understanding and experiencing the discomfort of the truth, acknowledging privilege, and listening to and honouring the stories of the First people. Honour Indigenous people’s truth by researching their history, especially the Indigenous people’s land whom you live, work, and play on. Other ways you can engage in Truth and Reconciliation is through Indigenous movies that speak to the Residential school experience, such as, Indian Horse, or We Were Children. There are also many books that speak to Indigenous people’s stories from their time at Residential School. Donations to not-for-profit organizations that support healing for Indigenous families is another way to engage in Truth and Reconciliation. Truth and Reconciliation is a lifelong journey that can occur with the support from all people.
If you want to learn more please visit the following websites for more information.
https://next150.indianhorse.ca/
