Numerous individuals wore orange as the community gathered to commemorate the third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at the Western Fair District Agriplex in London, Ontario.
“This year, we partnered with Atlas’s Healing Center, which was one of the reasons we were very successful in putting this event compared to last year,” says Gina McGahey of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nations.
McGahey says this year’s event aims to raise funds to save the last residential school, Mount Elgin.
“We want to be able to save it and probably build a museum or an interpretive center for it and a place for learning for both our culture and the language, as well as for the public,” McGahey says.
McGahey says that last year was their first attempt at doing a musical event. She adds that the event ran for three days.
“We are very thankful last year for Chris Camp of Music London, who helped us through this process and probably secured our funding support with Fed Devon and other funders,” McGahey says.
McGahey says that the event was held in November last year and “did not go as expected.”
“We expect more than 4,900 people to come this year,” McGahey says.
She says she wants people to gain information and knowledge on the Mount Logan Residential School because it is one of the first residential schools built and ran for about 100 years.
Several small business owners promoted their products and supported the cause at the event.
“I support the event because it raises funds for Mt. Elgon, and my grandfather was a residential school survivor,” McGahey says. “My grandfather is no longer here, but we feel the effects trickle down from generation to generation.” says small business owner Lela George.
“This event is about accepting our past in our current life and moving forward, as well as regaining what we have lost through time,” McGahey says.
She says that everybody’s presence at the event shows that despite their rough past, they still have our joys and hearts.
“This is evidence of the spirit’s resiliency within every Indigenous person,” McGahey says.
The event ran from noon until 3 p.m. on Sept. 30.
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