How people in Quebec marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Today also marks 10th Orange Shirt Day honouring residential school survivors
Hundreds of people dressed in orange gathered in front of the Sir George-Étienne Monument in Mount Royal Park for a march as part of the third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day Ann Deer describes as "one of those few days that all Indigenous people get to be seen as human."
The gathering at the park is one of several taking place across the province.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is meant to mourn the thousands of children who died in residential schools and highlight the ongoing effects of these institutions on survivors, their families and communities.
The last residential school was closed in 1996.
Deer, who is a board member with Resilience Montreal, a day shelter located in the city's downtown core, was one of several people speaking at Saturday's gathering at Mount Royal Park.
She's calling on the city of Montreal to "step up," and provide more support for Indigenous communities.
"I want to see action taken. I want to see support. I want to see support to Resilience Montreal and to the women in the shelter who need the resources that we have access to," Deer said.
"We need to change what is the reality of most Indigenous people."
Sept. 30 was declared a federal statutory holiday in 2021. This year, it also marks the 10th Orange Shirt Day — an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day raising awareness about the effects of residential schools.
Saturday's march — which was organized by the Native Women's Shelter — began at around 2:15 p.m. Marchers eventually made their way to Place du Canada to gather where the John A. Macdonald statue formerly stood before it was toppled in 2020.
Eva Papak Annatok, a student in Montreal who is from Quaqtag, Que., a village in Nunvavik, attended Saturday's march with her classmates. She said it's a day filled with emotion but, overall, she feels seen and acknowledged.
"It's like we never had a voice before but now we're getting noticed," she said.
Being present at the march is also her way of speaking up about the discrimination that Indigenous people continue to endure.
She said she wants the province's education system to do a better job of teaching young students about the realities and traditions of Indigenous communities.
Ellen Gabriel, an activist and artist from Kanehsatà:ke and Nakuset, the executive director of the Native Women's Shelter, were also among the speakers on Saturday.
"This is a day of action, right? It's not supposed to just be wearing an orange shirt," said Nakuset. "It's a day of actually walking with us. Because when we talk about action, you need to be with us, you need to hear our stories."
In addition to wearing orange clothing, participants were encouraged to bring drums, as well as food and goods to donate to homeless people they might encounter along the way.
Other events in and around Montreal
In Kahnawà:ke, people met this morning for a tobacco burning ceremony next to the Golden Age Club. Shortly after, a birthday party was held for survivors of the residential school system. Attendees then began travelling along a five-kilometre path starting from Orville Standup Memorial Park, with participants either walking or running depending on their preference.
At the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Innu soprano Elisabeth St-Gelais will perform music co-created by Innu poet Maya Cousineau Mollen and Anishinaabe composer Barabara Assiginaak. The free shows were scheduled for 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Admissions to the museum is also free Saturday.
The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul is holding a special service gathering Indigenous and settler worshippers as well as people with no religious faith. The event starts at 6 p.m. and everyone attending is also encouraged to wear an orange shirt.
Bishop's University's support centre for Indigenous students organized a march for students and the general public. The march began at Carré Strathcona. In Quebec City, the New Pathways Foundation and the Comité justice et enjeux autochtones also organized a march, which began at Université Laval.
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