drum circleA drum social teach-in Friday in the David Wilson Commons was central to campus observances of Orange Shirt Day.

Campus gathers in truth and reconciliation

Hundreds of people gathered Friday afternoon on the David Wilson Commons for a drum social teach-in for Orange Shirt Day.

The event took place after the Orange Shirt Day community walk from Art Windsor-Essex.

The campus observance on Turtle Island Walk, hosted by the Truth & Reconciliation Reading Circle of the Paul Martin Law Library, featured addresses reflecting on the legacy of residential schools and their impact on Indigenous individuals, families, and communities.

Elder and residential school survivor, Mona Stonefish, shared her experiences along with Beverly Jacobs, senior advisor to the president on Indigenous relations and outreach.

Attendees were treated to drumming by the Brown Bear Singers for Aamjiwnaang First Nation and were encouraged to take part in communal dancing.

Find more information on the UWindsor Orange Shirt Day webpage.

Lancers reflect on eye-opening trip of truth and reconciliation

Members of the Lancer men’s hockey team had an eye-opening experience when they visited First Nations communities in British Columbia’s Nicola Valley.

Players helped with several projects rebuilding after 2021 wildfires and floods, including a shed, a corral, and insulating a basement. Their journey included visiting the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, where 215 unmarked graves were discovered.

The team was moved to hear from those with first-hand experience, said captain  Mason Kohn.

“Listening to the stories of the survivors as they spoke was something really powerful,” he said. “It ensured that we all could come back to Windsor and discuss what had happened and to move forward, somehow, to find a way to rebuild the trust.”

Read the full story, “Lancers reflect on eye-opening trip of truth and reconciliation,” at goLancers.ca