Messages of hope, of learning how to become a better ally, and the importance of our shared responsibility to move forward together towards a better future, all marked a powerful Truth and Reconciliation commemoration ceremony held September 29, 2023, in the Joyce Family Atrium at StFX.
Shyanna Denny a third year political science student from Pictou Landing First Nation, told the large crowd gathered for the event that we live in a country that prides itself on its diversity, multiculturalism, and the home of the free. “However, it is also home to many years of cruel injustices faced by us as Indigenous people at the hands of our government.”
She said it is essential to reconciliation to recognize and acknowledge the history and effects of Indigenous children being removed from the safety of their families and communities and sent to residential schools and the years of trauma that followed.
“To build reconciliation, as it’s not just a buzzword, requires addressing and speaking of these past tragedies, listening to survivors and the trauma that these schools have on the generations that followed them,” she said in emotional remarks.
Having the chance to speak here today is important to her, she said, “not just as an Indigenous person, but also because I am the granddaughter of a residential school survivor, and I can walk this campus, attend classes, and even speak here to you on Truth and Reconciliation Day because he was lucky to make it back home.
“Reconciliation isn’t just one day of the year,” she said, “it’s an ongoing journey to heal the wounds of the past, and it’s a responsibility that falls on all of us, we can build trust and a better future for all of us because at the end of the day we share two things in common we are all humans and Canadians.”
The commemoration ceremony opened with an honour song.
Michelle Peters, a PhD student from Pictou Landing First Nation, shared a song, a story, and a message of hope. Ms. Peters, also a descendant of residential school survivors, says we all hold a collective responsibility to carry the voices of our ancestors and the ones who did not make it home. She also shared that “we have over 13,000 years of beautiful ancestral knowledge carried in our genes.” We are not just our trauma, she said.
Third year human kinetics student Julia Baniak from Muskeg Lake Cree First Nation in St. Albert, AB, the president of the StFX Indigenous Student Society, also offered remarks, including sharing recommendations on how one can become an ally.
Learn about the land you’re on, she said, and learn about the culture. Learn about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls-to-Action and ask questions. Actively listen, and never, ever let the conversation die. Don’t just come to this ceremony once a year, she advised. Continue to be a part of the conversation.
“In order for true change to be made, we must never, ever let the conversation die down.”
StFX President & Vice Chancellor, Dr. Andy Hakin said at StFX we recognize the principles of peace and friendship must be embedded at the very heart of our university. And they are a cornerstone of StFX’s new university plan, he said.
This commitment goes beyond a single day. It is an ongoing commitment, he noted, and to carry out this important work, relationships are critically important.
“Together, let’s carry the principles of peace and friendship forward. Let’s carry these values. This must be our path forward. As Xaverians, we must build community.”
Antigonish Mayor Laurie Bouchie and Antigonish County acting deputy warden Bill MacFarlane brought remarks on behalf of the Town and County of Antigonish.
Elizabeth Yeo, StFX Vice President Students, served as ceremony emcee.
“Colonization is not just history; it exists in the present. While we strive to decolonize ourselves and our institution, we know there is still much for us to learn. We are committed to doing the hard work of self-reflection and to repairing relationships with the Mi’kmaw on whose lands we reside, including embracing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls-to-Action and embodying their spirit in our day-to-day lives. We are all treaty people,” she said.
Participants tie an orange ribbon as a symbol of their commitment.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Ms. Denny invited everyone to tie a ribbon outside on the fence as a symbol of their commitment to honour the past, educate themselves, and others, on our shared history and to remember the lives lost in the residential school system on this reconciliation journey.
Following the ribbon tying ceremony, everyone was invited to the MacKay Room, Bloomfield Centre, for a free concert featuring Alan Syliboy & The Thundermakers with special guest, and StFX alumnus, Morgan Toney.
Paq’tnkek Chief Cory Julien opened the commemoration ceremony with an honour song, and Kerry Prosper, StFX Elder-in Residence, shared a prayer to close the ceremony.
