Over 50 Fanshawe students have gathered in the courtyard of A and E buildings of Fanshawe College to celebrate Truth and Reconciliation Day with a community lunch.
“Nothing is better than celebrating community through laughter and food in the spirit of Nish culture,” says assistant manager and organizer Natalie Fletcher.
She says that in the last few years, they have had “very emotionally heavy and draining events” given the circumstances of the historical background. She adds that this event is “more light in nature.”
“This year, we just really wanted to have a different approach and kind of more of a celebration of our people and survivors,” Fletcher says. “It is just to give back to our students and make them feel a little bit better on this day, as well as give respect to those we have lost at the residential school system.”
Fletcher says the Institute of Indigenous Learning at Fanshawe purchased tickets to send students to the Indigenous Music and Artisan Festival at the Western Fair complex on Sept. 30 at 6 p.m.
“The proceeds from the sale of these tickets will go toward helping the locals in Chippewas of the Thames save the last standing barn from the Mount Elgin Residential school, which will be converted into a museum,” Fletcher says.
Indigenous Recruitment and Community Relations Advisor Daniel Kennedy says it was challenging to discuss the topic in previous years, so they were sad and emotionally tired by the end of Truth and Reconciliation Day.
“This year, we decided we do not want to be sad; we just want to celebrate who we are as indigenous people and what better way to celebrate than with food,” Kennedy says.
Kennedy states that the community lunch represents and celebrates the people’s resilience and honours what this day is about.
“We are going to honour everyone that came before us and honour what they went through by coming together as a community, sharing laughter and food, and just being together,” Kennedy says. “We hope to impact and encourage people to learn who we are as indigenous people in Canada and understand that we have a place here.”
Kennedy says that there has never been a day in which they, as indigenous people, do not remember what their ancestors had to go through. He adds that knowing and accepting history can help prevent similar “horrifying and scary events” from happening in schools.
“We had a lot of our ancestors that went to residential school. It was not an outstanding experience at all. Some of them did not come home, which changed our culture, language and how we identify,” Fletcher says.
Fletcher says they decided to do it outdoors to try something different this year.
“We love being outside grounds us,” Fletcher says. “Many things we discuss today are sad, and we do not want to be sad. What better way to avoid being sad than enjoying a beautiful sunny day walking on Mother Earth with our bellies full.”
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