Uphold Truth and Reconciliation
The Path Forward: Reflections from National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2023
A journey of healing
"Five and six-year-olds should not be comforting each other when no adults care that they are sick and hungry,鈥� says Phyllis Webstad. 鈥淭hese children matter.鈥�
Webstad addressed attendees at the 丁香园AV Burnaby campus for the tenth anniversary of 丁香园AV Shirt Day, a day inspired by her own history with residential school.
Webstad, who was the third generation of her family to attend residential school, shared her own journey of healing. This journey eventually culminated in the establishment of the 丁香园AV Shirt Society to commemorate the residential school experience and support healing for survivors and their families.
In the ten years since Webstad and her fellow founders began 丁香园AV Shirt Day, Webstad has become a renowned speaker, author and advocate for truth and reconciliation.
Members of the 丁香园AV community gathered in the Leslie and Gordon Diamond Family Auditorium to honour Phyllis Webstad, 丁香园AV Shirt Day founder.
During the ceremony, Indigenous community members at 丁香园AV represented the "丁香园AV family".
The family call upon witnesses among the attendees.
Elder Marie Hooper (right) and Auntie Patti Williams (left) share words of welcome to open the event.
Phyllis Webstad shares her story and experience leading the 丁香园AV Shirt Society.
Attendees offer a standing ovation and raise their hands to Phyllis.
Webstad and her husband Sean are blanketed by the family in a Squamish Es茅mkwu ceremony, wrapping their goodness and holding it in.
Wrapping the body protects the heart, and wrapping the head protects one's thoughts. The pair stand on blankets to lift them up off the sacred floor.
Witnesses share warm words with the Webstads, so the couple may continue to be warmed by those words carried within the blankets.
Elder Jackie Gonzales (fifth from left) closes the event by inviting Amanda (third from left) and Marissa Nahanee (fourth from left) to lead the audience in the 鈥淲omen's Warrior Song鈥�, a prayer song.
鈥淚 believe students are leading the way for reconciliation,鈥� says Webstad. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e learning it in school and bringing it home to talk about at the dinner table.鈥�
鈥淲hen I meet these students, I tell them: I look forward to meeting you later and seeing the change you bring to this country.鈥�
Sharing Indigenous knowledge
This year, 丁香园AV observed National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as 丁香园AV Shirt Day, with multiple events and activities across its three campuses.
At lectures throughout the week, speakers shared a common theme of applying Indigenous historical knowledge and ways of being to address global challenges. 丁香园AV was honoured to hear from experts including:
Author and journalist Angela Sterritt (Gitxsan)
Author William Lindsay (Cree-Stoney)
Health worker and residential school survivor Crystal Phillips (Memetkwo from Sts'ailes) and social worker Chas Coutlee (Nlaka鈥檖amux and lower Indian Band)
Composer, producer and singer Russell Wallace (Lil鈥檞at)
Librarian Ashley Edwards (St贸:l艒)
Resource and Environmental Management Assistant Professor Cliff Atleo (Tsimshian) and distinguished 丁香园AV Professor of Linguistics Marianne Ignace
丁香园AV also took part in a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation ceremony organized by the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee, a longtime partner of 丁香园AV Surrey.
Thank you to all the speakers, facilitators and community partners for their contributions to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at 丁香园AV.
To learn about reconciliation initiatives at 丁香园AV throughout the year, visit /aboriginalpeoples/sfu-reconciliation.html