How to honour National Day for Truth and Reconciliation?

Did you know that September 30th began as an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community intergenerational impacts of residential schools and to promote the concept of Every Child Matters?

Join Art Windsor-Essex for the Every Child Matters Walk happening this Friday, September 30th, from 11:30am-1pm. Here are some tips for participating:

• All are welcome to attend.
• Wear an orange t-shirt to show your support, or simply add an orange pin or ribbon to your jacket.
• Don’t forget to read Phyllis’ Story (orangeshirtday.org) to learn more about the history and significance of this day.
• Read the 94 Calls to Action and understand your role. After years of Indigenous-led activism and truth-telling, it is now your turn to make sure these calls are completed. Did you know that Canada has completed only 11 of these calls, according to the Yellowhead institute?

To further your learning, here are upcoming community events:

SoCA Artist Talk: Susan Blight

Thursday, October 6th, 1pm — 2:30pm

Location: SoCA Armouries, 37 University Ave. E., Windsor

The School of Creative Arts is inviting community members to attend SoCA’s first free and public Artist Talk of the Fall. Special guest Susan Blight (Anishinaabe, Couchiching First Nation) will discuss her work as a visual artist, examining visual and spatial formations of Anishinaabeg geographies of resistance. Susan Blight (Anishinaabe, Couchiching First Nation) will be giving a public talk, discussing her work as a visual artist and co-founder of the Ogimaa Mikana artist collective, co-founded with Hayden King (Anishinaabe, Gchi’mnissing). Read more here.

An Afternoon with Shelley Niro: artist talk and drop-in beading circle

Friday, October 7th from 12pm-2pm

Location: University of Windsor, Dillon Hall, Room 115, 401 Sunset Ave, Windsor, ON

Spend an afternoon with artist Shelley Niro. On Friday, October 7th from 12pm-2pm, Niro will discuss her work and current exhibition Shelley Niro: Boundless curated by Czarina Mendoza. Students and community members are invited to participate in an open beading circle and turkey lunch. This event is presented in partnership with Windsor Law at the University of Windsor and the Aboriginal Education Centre — Turtle Island. Read more here.

Shelley Niro (b. 1954) is an Artist and Filmmaker from Brantford, Ontario. She is a member of the Turtle Clan, Bay of Quinte Mohawk from the Six Nations Reserve. She holds a degree from Ontario College of Art and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Western Ontario. Niro has exhibited across Canada and has work in collections of the Canada Council Art Bank, Canadian Museum of History, and Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography. Her award-winning films have been screened in festivals worldwide, and she presented her work at the 2003 Venice Biennale.