Submitted by: Rob Baskey, MNO Veterans’ Council Sergeant-at-arms
With excerpts from: http://www.orangeshirtday.org/
Grade 3 students from Moosonee Public School stand
with (L-R) Kieran Hiland (Police Constable), Sharon Ross
(Site Manager, Native Friendship Centre), Elder Rachel
Chakasim and Rob Baskey (MNO Veterans’ Council
Sergeant-at-arms) at the “Every Child Matters” walk. Click
here to view a larger version.
This past September, Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) Veterans’ Council Sergeant-at-Arms Rob Baskey, participated in Northern College’s Every Child Matters walk. During the walk, participants were encouraged to wear orange shirts to commemorate and remember those impacted by residential schools.
The walk was co-sponsored by the Timmins Native Friendship Centre (Moosonee Site). The keynote speaker at the walk was residential school survivor Elder Rachel Chakasim. Rachel’s daughter Sharon Ross, who is the Site Manager at the Timmins Native Friendship Centre, also attended the walk. Both Rachel and Sharon made very emotional testimonies on the impact residential schools had on their family.
Every year September 30th is declared Orange Shirt Day; in recognition of the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and well-being. Orange Shirt Day grew out of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad’s story of having her shiny new orange shirt taken away on her first day at a residential school.
Published on: October 28, 2016