Cambridge ready to mark Orange Shirt Day for a second year

For Lisa Mariano from Cambridge, the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not only a time to bring awareness to the legacy and impacts of the residential school system, but also an opportunity to advance reconciliation efforts in the community.  

For a second year, Mariano has organized the Orange Shirt Day event in Cambridge.

On Friday, September 30, the event will begin with a vigil that will take place at the Cambridge Sculpture Garden on Grand Ave., near the pedestrian bridge, from 7-9 p.m.

“The pedestrian bridge will be lit up in orange. There will be Indigenous songs and drumming, and we have a speaker, Charity Fleming, from Qualia Counselling Services, an Indigenous counselling service here in Cambridge,” Mariano said.

“We are happy to welcome Qualia Counselling Services and two other organizations this year, the KW Urban Native Wigwam Project and Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre. All are new to Cambridge and it’s their first year taking part in the event.”

Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, coincides with Orange Shirt Day, and for Mariano, serves as a day of remembrance, reflection, learning, and action.

“For me, I know that we have a very strong Indigenous heritage and history along the Grand River. We used to have a Friendship Centre, we also used to have pow wows in Cambridge.  I’m seeing that support is still here,” Mariano said.

“And I think that promoting and putting on these events will encourage people to come out, learn and keep the conversations going, and hopefully grow into more events and more awareness about Indigenous issues and how localized they can be.”

Mariano is not new to efforts that recognize and preserve Indigenous history, locally.

Last year, Mariano approached the City of Cambridge to commemorate the site of a former Iroquoian village near Myers Road and Highway 24 as a municipal heritage site.

“We have a lot of Indigenous sites that have been recognized through different archeology projects. We have over 50 heritage properties and buildings that are protected, funded, and supported in the community, but none of them are Indigenous,” Mariano said.

“I want to see the same equity of all our heritage and backgrounds.”

Mariano said that the Myers Road site is currently under the purview of Waterloo Region’s plan.

“We are just waiting for the region to make the connections and consultations to come up with a plan to see what commemoration looks like to the Indigenous community. From there, I would like to see as much Indigenous input on what that might look like as possible,” Mariano said.

“It must be discouraging for Indigenous people to see their buildings, such as long houses, being developed over, and not being given a second thought or protection while we spend thousands on protecting and designating heritage districts. I want to see that narrative change.”

Mariano said there are many reasons why people should put on their orange shirt and take part in the event on Friday.

“One that stands out for me is that Brantford, Six Nations and the Mohawk Institute is nearby. They are our neighbours. I want to show them that they have the support from their surrounding communities to stand in solidarity with them as they go through their ground penetrating radar right now, and already, they are finding discoveries,” Mariano said.

Brantford is home to Canada's first residential school run from 1831-1970, and Six Nations is the largest Indigenous reserve in Canada.

The Mohawk Institute in Brantford, now known as Woodland Cultural Centre, is currently the focus of ground penetrating radar investigations into unmarked graves and is a place that Mariano said, "without a doubt effected every Indigenous person in this region, for generations.”

“There are many intergenerational traumas that are being triggered on Orange Shirt Day so I wanted to create a space where people can come out and learn the truth and support our city’s path in reconciliation,” Mariano said.

Mariano said that the Cambridge community has really come together to support the event.  

“I have had a lot of help and support from the Idea Exchange, from our city’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion staff and many organizations and residents across the city that just want to make sure we keep these conversations going and that we keep hosting these events and provide spaces for our community to learn about the history,” Mariano said.

Mariano said spreading this information to work towards reconciliation is important, especially for those who are non indigenous.

“We should not be looking to those who are Indigenous only,” Mariano said.

“We need everyone to come out and show their support, so we can all move forward.”