At NIC, we recognize that as an educational institution we have a responsibility to honour, respect and support Indigenous cultures and identities as we move towards a future of reconciliation and hope.
Annually, September 30 has been recognized as Orange Shirt Day, and last year, it was designated as the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.
Please join us Sept 26-30 to honour survivors and understanding the impact of residential schools and colonialization.
“Today is a day to honour and remember residential school survivors and their families. We must also remember those children that never made it and are no longer with us. Today is a day for survivors to tell their stories and for us to listen with open hearts.”
Phyllis Webstad, creator of Orange Shirt Day.
Ways to get involved
Orange Shirt Day Shirts
NISU and Indigenous Education have partnered to buy Orange Shirt Day t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts. T-shirts will be free for students (while supplies last), distributed by NISU. Orange Shirt Day T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts will be also available for purchase at NIC Bookstores.
This year’s Orange Shirt Day t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts feature the artwork of K’ómoks artist Andy Everson and were printed by the Wachiay Studio which is run by the Comox Valley’s Wachiay Friendship Centre Society.
Hearts & Hands Displays
In recognition of Orange Shirt Day, and the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in 2021, NIC community members took part in a hearts and hands activity at the Comox Valley, Campbell River, Mixalakwila and Port Alberni campuses.
Each heart and hand represents a different community members perspective: the hearts represent sentiments that they have about reconciliation and the hands represent the actions that they will take towards reconciliation.
Thank you to all NIC community members who took part in the initiative, and the staff members from Indigenous Education, Student Life and North Island Students’ Union who facilitated this activity.
Visit the displays:
- Campbell River campus in C-Wing
- Comox Valley campus on the first floor of Tyee Hall
- Mixalakwila campus, in the main hallway
- Port Alberni campus in the South Wing
Visit NIC Library & Learning Commons
Displays will be set up in NIC's Library & Learning Commons at the Campbell River, Comox Valley and Port Alberni campuses. You can also review the Library & Learning Commons Truth & Reconciliation Guide.
Walk a Path of Reconciliation
During the week of Sept. 26-30, designated Paths of Reconciliation will be available at the Campbell River, Comox Valley and Port Alberni campuses. These flagged walking routes encourage students and employees to walk, reflect on and consider ways in which they can engage in the work of reconciliation.
The impact of residential school and colonialization has stolen our collective ability to know and understand the diversity of Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
Join us on a journey to reflect on colonialization and the impact of residential schools and take steps towards reconciliation. We all can take steps to learn and know more about Indigenous cultures & identities, reflect and remember the impacts of residential schools and colonialization, and learn and understand what more we can do to move towards reconciliation.
The videos below are designed for you to engage in reflection as you walk.
You can use this guide to walk the route in person or use the video as virtual experience. There are questions embedded into this video for you to consider. Additional black buttons that will pop up to offer resources for you to learn from, if you so choose. If walking the route and using the video, please be sure to pause in your walk to read your screen—looking at your screen while moving isn’t a safe practice. For any questions about the walking routes, please contact communications@nic.bc.ca.
Campbell River
Route Time: 15 minutes (not including stops, if you choose to do so, for reflection/reading resources)
Accessibility Notes: This route goes both in and outside of the campus buildings on paved cement walkways and indoor hallways.
Comox Valley
Route Time: 15 minutes (not including stops, if you choose to do so, for reflection/reading resources)
Accessibility Notes: This route goes outside of the campus buildings on more narrow paved cement walkways which may have cracks and bumps that could be challenging.
Port Alberni
Route Time: 15 minutes (not including stops, if you choose to do so, for reflection/reading resources)
Accessibility Notes: This route goes both in and outside of the campus buildings on paved cement walkways and indoor hallways.
Listen to Survivors' Stories
"A Survivor is not just someone who “made it through” the schools, or “got by” or was “making do.” A Survivor is a person who persevered against and overcame adversity. The word came to mean someone who emerged victorious, though not unscathed, whose head was “bloody but unbowed.” It referred to someone who had taken all that could be thrown at them and remained standing at the end. It came to mean someone who could legitimately say “I am still here!” For that achievement, Survivors deserve our highest respect. But, for that achievement, we also owe them the debt of doing the right thing. Reconciliation is the right thing to do, coming out of this history."
Excerpt from The Survivors Speak: A Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Read “The Survivors Speak: A Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.”
Read about NIC Elder in Residence and Nursing Instructor Evelyn Voyageur's experience in the St. Michael's Residential School in Alert Bay.
Phyllis Webstad - Orange Shirt Day Presentation
Bear witness & learn from The Witness Blanket
“Eddy Charlie shares.” Eddy is a residential school survivor who started Victoria Orange Shirt Day.
Take part in a community event
While NIC campuses are closed September 30, we encourage NIC community members to engage in their own personal way to honour truth and reconciliation: whether it’s through personal reflection, discussions with family or friends or participation in community events that honours the Indigenous peoples and lands on which we live, work and learn.
Community Events - Friday, September 30
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (virtual)
Note: While these resources from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation are designed for students & educators in grades K-12, a number of the workshops available throughout the week offer cultural and educational resources that would be beneficial for all.
Share your commitment to reconcili-action
After reflecting on reconciliation share your voice on social media using the hashtag #NICOrangeShirtDay. Post on the importance of honouring residential school survivors, celebrating Indigenous voices, cultures and identities, or committing to reconcili-action.
Additional Resources
Learn about the #Next150 Challenge
History of Orange Shirt Day
Territory Acknowledgements
NIC & Post-Secondary Resources
Resources for Survivors
NIC Counselling
- Counselling and support resources for NIC students
- Book a counselling appointment
- Note: if this is an emergency, or you need to speak to someone outside of regular office hours, please call 911, Here2Talk: 1-877-857-3397 (24/7 free student counselling service) or the Vancouver Crisis Line (24/7) 1-888-494-3888
Healing and wellness resources from the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS)
- Includes grief and loss counselling, crisis counselling, trauma counselling, family and group counselling and other supports including Traditional Healing Methods & Medicines
- IRSSS Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419 (Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
NIC Initiatives & News Stories
Language Revitalization
Student experiences
Nursing
Centre for Applied Research, Technology & Innovation (CARTI)
Metal Jewellery Design
Events
