Dear VIU community,
Vancouver Island University is honoured to be deeply connected to the traditional territories of the Snuneymuxw, Quw’utsun, Tla’amin, Snaw-Naw-as, and Qualicum First Nations. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn and work on these lands and for the guidance these Nations continue to share with us as we walk together on the path of reconciliation.
Each year on September 30, VIU observes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. Both honour the thousands of children who never returned home from the residential school system, as well as Survivors, their families and communities. This day reminds us of the importance of truth in our journey towards reconciliation.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the release of the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada’s (TRC) report, which was established in direct response to Call to Action #80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. It serves as a solemn reminder of the experiences of more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children who were removed from their families and communities and forced to attend residential schools, and of the intergenerational impacts that continue to this day.
Orange Shirt Day, also held on September 30, is a powerful reminder of the meaning behind the words Every Child Matters. The movement began in 2013, inspired by the story of Phyllis Webstad, a six-year-old girl whose new orange shirt – a gift from her grandmother – was taken away on her first day at a residential school on BC’s Dog Creek reserve. Since then, wearing orange has become a symbol of honouring Survivors and acknowledging the truths of Canada’s history.
As VIU is closed on Tuesday, September 30 to give people the time to reflect, I encourage you to wear orange on Monday, September 29, when we are together on campus, as a signal of our shared commitment to respect and reconciliation – a commitment we need to live and honour each and every day.
On behalf of VIU, I want to express our gratitude to the Indigenous communities and knowledge holders who continue to guide us on this journey. We are committed to walking alongside you with humility and respect.
Warm regards,
Dr. Dennis Johnson, PhD
Interim President and Vice-Chancellor
Vancouver Island University
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