Mississauga marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with education and awareness

Mississauga.com
Sept. 11, 2023

The City of Mississauga is making resources available for residents to learn more about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Sept. 30 is dedicated to honouring the lost children and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation also coincides with Orange Shirt Day, which is intended to raise awareness of the impacts of residential schools and to promote the concept of Every Child Matters.

During the month of September, Mississauga is offering several activities that can help residents commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools through education:

• On Sept. 30, the digital screens at Celebration Square will display messages of encouragement for visitors to learn, reflect and engage in reconciliation. A series highlighting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and the City’s commitment to reconciliation will be displayed on the screens throughout the day.

• From Sept. 1 to 30, museum visitors can participate in a guided tour of the Bradley House and grounds. Museum staff will provide information on the history of Indigenous Peoples on the land now known as Mississauga and the Credit Mission Village. Staff will also share what the City of Mississauga is currently doing to further the process of reconciliation.

• On the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, visitors can take a guided tour of Benares Historic House and the grounds. Letters from family connected to the house will provide a glimpse of how settlers and the Mississaugas interacted.

• Visitors can also take part in the Moccasin Identifier Project, which was developed by Carolyn King in partnership with Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and The Greenbelt Foundation to promote public awareness of significant cultural historic sites and the ancestral presence of First Nations, Métis and Indigenous communities.

• On Sept. 14, older adult residents will be able to learn more about The Moccasin Identifier Project and how they can get involved. No pre-registration is required to participate.

• The Mississauga Library has curated a book list focusing on Truth and Reconciliation that library card holders are encouraged to sign out and learn more about.

• In honour of the 175th anniversary of the Mississaugas leaving the Credit for a new home in Hagersville, the Honouring the Mississaugas exhibit was created by the Museums of Mississauga along with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation to honour their legacy and celebrate the history. Visitors can explore the exhibit at Meadowvale Library from Sept. 1 to 14 and at Frank McKechnie Library from Sept. 16 to 30.

• To recognize both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation flag will be raised on Sept. 30 at City Hall and the Civic Centre clock tower will be lit orange to recognize the same cause.

• On Oct. 6, the community is invited to the Malton Library to create a visual reminder to recognize and honour the past using a Moccasin Identifier stencil kit. Those participating will use stencils to create temporary paintings of moccasins worn by Indigenous Peoples to promote awareness and understanding of the history of the land. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Drop-in any time during scheduled times.

 

More information can be found on the City’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation webpage: https://www.mississauga.ca/national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation/