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Crowd gathered for Truth and Reconciliation event

Medicine Hat College hosts walk for Truth and Reconciliation Day

Sep 30, 2022 | 5:50 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A walk was held at Medicine Hat College today in honour of Truth and Reconciliation day, also known as orange shirt day.

Prior to the walk there was a prayer, and a few words about the day. As well the appreciation for the community who showed up in great numbers.

In the crowd their were many orange shirts showing the acknowledgement of the day. The walk was about 1 kilometer around the grounds of the college and took about 30 minutes for the group to complete.

While the group was out, Volunteer and Indigenous MHC student Ina “Old Shoes” Fairbanks spoke about what the day means to her in particular.

“When I think of truth and reconciliation I think of all the people who never had the opportunity to be able to show their resilience because they were strucken down from the beginning. Being forced to go to schools just to be taught how not to be an indigenous person, not being able to get proper education and having all these traumas. not being able to speak about them”

In regards to MHC hosting such an event Fairbanks said “To be able to hold an event like this just means so much, Knowing that the college recognizes that there are indigenous students, even though there’s not as many”

On a final note Fairbanks mentioned she feels heard by the college on such an important day to recognize and remember the events that took place.