We must all walk a path together towards reconciliation was the message September 30th as a standing-room only crowd filled the Joyce Family Atrium in Mulroney Hall at StFX as campus and community members gathered to speak on the meaning of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
After the ceremony, everyone was invited outside to tie an orange ribbon on the memorial ribbon fence.
Ceremony emcee, Savannah Paul, a fifth year human kinetics student from Sipekne’katik First Nation and the president of the StFX Indigenous Student Society, thanked everyone for attending. She acknowledged StFX stands on the lands of Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded home of the Mi’kmaw.
“Today, our students, President (Dr. Andy) Hakin, and all of you here, emphasized our mission as a university and as a community to honour, educate and remember.”
To open the ceremony, Elder and StFX Knowledge Keeper Kerry Prosper shared a prayer and explained the smudging ceremony.
Toby Condo, a spiritual advisor and Sundancer from Millbrook First Nation, shared a song in honour of the day.
PATH OF CONTINUOUS CHANGE
“Reconciliation is not a single step or a single path. It is a path of continuous change,” StFX President Dr. Andy Hakin told the large crowd.
At StFX, we must walk that path together, working together to shape a better future for all, a future that is shaped by justice and inclusion, he noted. “We’re trying to live these values today.”
Citing the words of Senator PJ Prosper, Dr. Hakin noted the importance of actions over words to help create this future, strengthen relationships, and amplify voices.
On this National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, we gather to honour and remember the painful legacy of residential schools and colonial policies and many injustices, he said. We are here to reflect on the profound impact this has had and to recommit ourselves to the ongoing journey of reconciliation.
Dr. Hakin also outlined several upcoming events at StFX this month as well as several initiatives, from the introduction of a new Indigenous alumni chapter to foregrounding Truth and Reconciliation in StFX's new Academic Plan.
Reconciliation is a continuous, evolving process and we must continue this work that creates meaningful change and pathways for equitable futures, he said.
Noting the large crowd on hand for the ceremony, Dr. Hakin said, “This is what StFX is about. Community and building a community.”
Honours anthropology student, Judith Banman Janzen, an Indigenous woman originally from Bolivia, read a poem by Cobra Collins, “Wild West – A Poem About Truth and Reconciliation.”
Dr. Erin Morton, Associate Vice-President Research, Graduate and Professional Studies, also spoke on behalf of StFX’s Faculty Committee on Reconciliation, affirming the committee’s commitment to uplift the work of reconciliation on campus.
Kaisan Stevens, a third year anthropology student from Eskasoni First Nation, about to start an academic exchange in Belize, provided his reflections on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation from his L’nu perspective.
RIBBON OF HONOUR
Cynthia Sewell, StFX Indigenous Student Advisor, provided her reflections on Truth and Reconciliation and introduced the meaning of the ribbon tying ceremony. The orange ribbon campaign originated as an expression of grief for Canada and the Red Deer, AB communities residential school history. This campaign was created in observance of the traditional customs from that territory. StFX has honoured this ceremony since 2021.
Ms. Sewell began her reflection with the words of Abigail Echo-Hawk, followed by a song by Fawn Wood in remembrance. Students from the Indigenous Student Society opened the main doors of the building and distributed ribbons to tie on the memorial wall as all filed outside.
Along with the ceremony in the Joyce Atrium, a special exhibit, Strategic Practices, opened in the MacNeil Gallery on the second floor of the Gerald Schwartz School of Business. Co-hosted by the StFX Art Gallery and the Schwartz School, the exhibit is the first exclusively Indigenous exhibition of the StFX permanent art collection, including some never before displayed pieces. It is open to the public until Nov 15, Wednesday to Saturday, 12-4 p.m.
The day concluded with Alan Syliboy & The Thundermakers commemorating the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation with a free concert in the Schwartz Auditorium.
CELEBRATING MI’KMAW HISTORY MONTH
Each October, Mi’kmaw History Month educates and celebrates Mi’kmaw history and culture. This year’s theme is A’tukwemk aq A’tukowinu’k – Storytelling and Storytellers. It reflects how stories are central to how Mi’kmaw people teach, learn, and live, carrying laughter, knowledge, and connection across generations. This theme honours both the stories and the storytellers who keep them alive.
StFX will host a number of campus events during October. These include:
• Oct. 1: The StFX Faculty of Education hosts a full day of professional learning for B.Ed. students on Treaty Day. There will also be campus-wide acknowledgement of the Peace and Friendship Treaties. The B.Ed. Treaty Day professional development day opens with a welcome in Xavier Gardens at 8:30 a.m. After unpacking the Treaty Education framework, participants have opportunity to choose to attend concurrent sessions on Learning Mi’kmaw Language with Tiffany Gould; Making Maki’t’s Dolls with Charlotte Poulette; Exploring Mi’kmaw Art and Artists with Rachel Power; Playing Waltes; Resources for Teaching and Learning in the CRC, with Allana Beaton; Understanding the Impacts of Centralization, with Simon Sylliboy; Land-Based Learning, with Alice Johnston; and Understanding the Marshall Decision, with Jane McMillan.
• Oct. 9: Sisters in Spirit Take Back the Night. The march will start at 5:30 p.m. and will wrap up around 7 p.m. (Exact route, TBD). From 7-10 p.m., there will be a gathering at the Bloomfield Hub with cookies and hot chocolate.
• Oct. 16: The Brian Mulroney Institute of Government's Sober Second Thinkers Speakers Series begins its second year with The Hon. Kim Pate who will speak about her report, Injustices and Miscarriages of Justice Experienced by 12 Indigenous Women. The event takes place at 7 p.m. in MULH 2032.
• Oct. 21: The Department of Anthropology, the Anthropology Student Society, and the Deveau Centre for Indigenous Governance and Social Justice present Dr. Kisha Supernant who will deliver the lecture ‘Archaeology, Indigenous Knowledge, and Restorative Justice in Canada’ at 7:30 p.m. in the Schwartz Auditorium. Dr. Supernant is a Métis archaeologist and professor of anthropology at the University of Alberta. She is the Director of the Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology, and President of Indigenous Heritage Circle. Dr. Supernant is a leading expert on Indigenous archaeology, Indigenous cultural heritage, and geospatial analysis. She is an award-winning teacher, researcher, and writer whose research interests include Indigenous cultural identities, landscapes, and the use of space.
• Oct. 29: A Learning Lodge with Tajikeimik, the Mi’kmaq health authority, will take place at 11 a.m. More details TBD.
• All month: A special exhibit, Strategic Practices, runs Wednesday-Saturday, 12- 4 p.m., in the MacNeil Gallery, on the second floor of the Gerald Schwartz School of Business. Co-hosted by the StFX Art Gallery and the Schwartz School, the exhibit is the first exclusively Indigenous exhibition of the StFX permanent art collection, including some never before displayed pieces. It is open to the public until Nov 15.
