Campus remembers Indigenous residential schools with Orange Shirt Day event

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, Indigenous staff and students came together to recognize Truth and Reconciliation Day, also known as Orange Shirt Day, with the message “Every Child Matters.” 

The event provided an opportunity for the campus community to commemorate the children who never returned home from residential schools and to honor the ongoing healing journeys of residential school survivors.

Open to Native and non-Native faculty, staff and students, the event created space for reflection, education and community. Attendees shared a meal featuring Native-inspired Three Sisters Soup and received specially designed orange T-shirts commemorating the event.

As part of the program, attendees viewed "Unseen Tears," a documentary produced by the University at Buffalo that examines the experiences of Indigenous communities in Western New York affected by the Thomas Indian School on the Cattaraugus Territory. The film provided an important opportunity to learn more about the history and lasting impact of residential and boarding schools on Indigenous communities in the region.

Through education, remembrance and community gathering, the event honored those affected by the residential school system and encouraged continued conversations about truth, reconciliation, healing and the importance of ensuring that Every Child Matters.

-- Submitted by the Dean of Students Office