Orange Shirt Day to take place September 30th at the Mashpee Rotary
Local recognition of Orange Shirt Day, a National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, will take place on September 30 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM at the Mashpee rotary, followed by a free dinner social at the MWT Community Center at 483 Great Neck Road in South Mashpee. A shuttle will be provided from the MWT Community Center; the shuttle leaves at 12:30 PM & 1:00 PM and returns around 3:00 PM. Participants are encouraged to bring posters and wear orange shirts!
This event is sponsored by the MWT Office for Victims of Crime. Questions should be directed to Jadyn Henderson at Jadyn.Henderson@mwtribe-nsn.gov (508) 477-0208.
Background
An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children passed through residential (boarding) schools between their opening, around 1869, and their closing in 1996. These children were often forcibly taken from their homes to these schools in an effort to assimilate and Christianize them. They were called savages, forbidden to speak their language or practice their traditions, and forced to cut their hair and burn their clothes. The children suffered severe physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.
In May 2021, the remains of 215 children were found buried near a residential school for Indigenous children in Canada. A month later, another 182 human remains were discovered in unmarked graves at the site of another residential school. Over 1,000 have been found since then. The search for more Indigenous children continues.
“The annual Orange Shirt Day on September 30th opens the door to global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools. It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected. Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.
The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. It is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.”
For more information, visit OrangeShirtDay.org.
