George Brown College: Join us in marking the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day at a Sacred Fire Ceremony at Waterfront Campus
Press Release
September 21, 2022
George Brown College will mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day with a Sacred Fire Ceremony at Waterfront Campus.
The Indigenous Initiatives team at George Brown is inviting the college community to the event on Friday, September 30. Sacred Fire ceremonies are an Indigenous wellness approach used for several reasons, including prayer, gratitude, and personal healing.
“I encourage our entire community to come by and offer some tobacco into the fire as petitions for survivors, their families and the little souls that never returned home. This is a healing initiative and a truly beautiful experience,” said Audrey Rochette, Director, Indigenous Initiatives at George Brown.
Sacred Fire Ceremony
Friday, September 30, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences at Waterfront Campus, 51 Dockside Dr.
September 30 is a day to honour the children who never returned home from residential schools as well as survivors and their families and communities. In 2021, the federal government declared September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. And it is Orange Shirt Day, an Indigenous-led movement that raises awareness about the past and ongoing impacts of residential schools.
Visit georgebrown.ca/indigenous to learn more.
Online teaching session before Sacred Fire Ceremony
Indigenous Initiatives is hosting an online teaching and information session open to everyone ahead of the Sacred Fire Ceremony featuring Sacred Fire Keeper Raiden Levesque. The session on Monday, September 26, noon – 1 p.m. will outline the significance of the ceremony and provide details about ceremony protocols. This online session is a special edition event as part of the college’s ongoing Indigenous Knowledge Keeper series.
Learn more and register for the Sacred Fire Ceremony information session.
George Brown’s commitment to reconciliationGeorge Brown College remains committed to taking meaningful action towards reconciliation by supporting Indigenous students and employees and delivering on Colleges and Institutes Canada’s (CICAN) Indigenous Education Protocols.
“Our Indigenous Education Strategy released earlier this year guides our ongoing efforts to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing into curriculum, classroom practices and institutional decision-making. We all have a role to play in this important work,” George Brown College President Dr. Gervan Fearon said.
“I encourage everyone at George Brown to take this opportunity to learn about and reflect on the legacy of residential schools and how we can commit to ongoing reconciliation – both as a college and as individuals. Reconciliation is about what we do together and this is a great opportunity for each of us to participate in building understanding and shared futures.”
Learn more
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