Ozaawaa Babigoyaan Giizhigad (Orange Shirt Day)

To commemorate Ozaawaa Babigoyaan Giizhigad (Orange Shirt Day), TMU community members are invited to attend a number of events taking place on campus on Friday, September 29. In addition, lights along Gould and Victoria Street will be turned orange the week leading up to Orange Shirt Day.

Agenda

• 9:30 a.m. Opening song, prayer and welcoming remarks
• 10 a.m. Presentation/teachings
• 11 a.m. Wellness break
• 11:15 a.m. Presentation/teachings
• 12 p.m. Lunch 
• 1:30 p.m. Survivors flag raising in the quad and silent memorial walk around campus 
• 3 p.m. Virtual tour of Woodland Cultural Centre (formerly the Mohawk Institute Residential School)

This event is wheelchair accessible

The university is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any accommodation requirements, please let us know in the registration form. You can also email Crystal Osawamick, manager, Indigenous events and special projects, crystal.osawamick@torontomu.ca.

Community members are encouraged to wear orange

We encourage you to wear orange to show your support and honour survivors of residential schools. For survivors of residential schools, Ozaawaa Babigoyaan Giizhigad (Orange Shirt Day) reaffirms that their lived experience matters and recognizes the multiple generations who experienced trauma.

How and where to get an orange shirt

We strongly recommend that community members purchase orange shirts from Indigenous-owned businesses and retailers that give a significant percentage of proceeds to Indigenous charities and organizations. 

This year, TMU's Campus Store is selling Every Child Matters orange t-shirts in partnership with Indigenous Initiatives. The shirts are available for purchase and 100 per cent of profits are donated to the Orange Shirt Society (external link) .

This event is brought to you by the Orange Shirt Day organizing committee

This year’s event is organized by a collective of Indigenous and non-Indigenous colleagues, led by Crystal Osawamick, manager of Indigenous events and special projects.

The committee includes staff from Alumni Relations, Career, Co-op and Student Success, Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Ceremonials Office, Gdoo-maawnjidimi Mompii Indigenous Student Services, Indigenous Initiatives, Indigenous Education Council, Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion, School of Early Childhood Studies, Student Affairs, Student Learning Centre, Student Life and Learning Support and TMU Libraries.

Questions? 

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Crystal Osawamick, manager, Indigenous events and special projects, crystal.osawamick@torontomu.ca.