Calgarians march ahead of Orange Shirt Day
Posted Sep 26, 2020 5:42 pm.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – Calgarians took part in a ceremony Saturday afternoon to reflect on the impact of residential schools on Indigenous people across Canada.
Indigenous elders led the march from 3rd Street and Stephen Avenue S.W. toward City Hall in anticipation of next week’s Orange Shirt Day. Marchers bore orange shirts to show their support.
The event was organized by the Colouring It Forward (CIF) Reconciliation Society.
“The main purpose of it is to honour the survivors of residential schools and their families, and also the survivors of the Sixties Scoop,” said Diana Frost, founder of CIF Society. “But not only that, to bring people together, to show support for positive change for Indigenous people.”
The CIF Society works to deliver workshops and events that provide education on healing and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
“It’s very important to come out and speak about the issues, the residential schools and the inter-generational trauma that has resulted from what happened, with children being taken away and having lost their culture,” said Frost.
Orange Shirt Day takes place Sept. 30.
