National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

On September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, hundreds of people, many wearing orange shirts, gathered at Vernon’s North Okanagan Friendship Centre. The three-hour event featured a traditional prayer recited by Okanagan Indian Band Elder Virginia Gregoire, a traditional song performed by Maggie King, and opportunities for smudging and sharing personal stories. The gathering also highlighted the significance of Orange Shirt Day, recounting its origin from residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad's experience.

The wearing of orange serves as a symbol of solidarity, a way to honor survivors, remember the children who never returned, and commit to listening to their truths. Artist Ceecee Camille displayed a quilt at the Friendship Centre, crafted with squares bearing the names of every residential school in Canadian history. This quilt also detailed the number of marked and unmarked graves and remembered students from each school, alongside an upside-down Canadian flag with black columns and a black Maple Leaf, adorned with red handprints, to acknowledge this dark period in history.

Beyond the central gathering, the Okanagan Indian Band and Splatsin, located near Enderby, organized their own Truth and Reconciliation walks within their communities, which also saw large participation from orange-shirt-clad attendees.