Manitoba communities mark Orange Shirt Day with walks, powwows, and ceremonies, honoring residential school survivors and promoting reconciliation.
Orange Shirt Day Walks Inspire Healing Across Manitoba
A Day of Reflection and Hope
Thousands of Manitobans donned orange shirts on Tuesday to participate in events commemorating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The fifth annual Orange Shirt Day Healing Walk, organized by the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO), brought together Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants in Winnipeg.
Voices of Survivors
Elder Mary Bryan, originally from the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, reflected on her journey as a day school and Sixties Scoop survivor. “I’ve been working on myself to heal, by teaching and telling my story… I’ve come a long way, but I’m still healing,” Bryan said. Walking alongside her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, she emphasized the importance of multiple generations sharing in the healing process.
Recognizing Past Harms
Orange Shirt Day was founded in 2013 by survivor Phyllis Webstad, who had her orange shirt taken away on her first day at a residential school. Sept. 30 became a provincial statutory holiday in Manitoba last year. The day honors children who were forced into residential schools, day schools, and those taken during the Sixties Scoop.
Community Engagement and Education
Grand Chief Jerry Daniels highlighted the broader significance: “It gives me hope that we’re recognizing the truth and history of Canada… and arming teachers and students with the truth of where we’ve been and hope for our future.” Attendees like Matthew Pettigrew from New Brunswick noted the slow but necessary path toward healing across generations of Indigenous families affected by residential schools.
Ceremonies and Cultural Celebrations
Events included a pipe ceremony at The Forks, followed by the Healing Walk, and concluded with a Healing Powwow at the RBC Convention Centre. Survivor Nancy Gray said the powwow was “fulfilling” and celebrated Indigenous culture, long suppressed by residential schools. Premier Wab Kinew addressed attendees, noting, “When you dance powwow, you prove that people who started the residential schools failed in their attempt to destroy Indigenous culture.”
Commemorating Assiniboia Residential School
Over 100 people gathered near the former Assiniboia Residential School site, unveiling three new plaques in multiple Indigenous languages as well as English and French. Darian McKinney, a board member of the Assiniboia Residential School Legacy Group, stressed the importance of acknowledging the intergenerational impacts of residential schools. MP Ben Carr added that knowledge about residential schools has grown significantly but emphasized the need for continued education.
A Step Toward Reconciliation
Orange Shirt Day remains a critical moment in Canada’s ongoing journey toward reconciliation. Across Manitoba, participants reflected on historical harms, celebrated cultural resilience, and underscored the shared responsibility of learning and healing for future generations.
