Orange Shirt Day Events
These events are part of a semester-long series to bring awareness to the legacy of colonization across Turtle Island, the necessity of institutional decolonization, as well as Indigenous resurgence and joy.
On Campus Activities
The College has a wide range of activities planned in the days leading up to September 30. The entire community is encouraged to participate, engage and learn more about the Indigenous peoples of Canada, the legacy of colonization and the steps still needed towards reconciliation across our country and within the Dawson community.
Indigenous Perspectives: How decolonization and addressing climate change are interlinked
Delivered by Tiio Hemlock.
Sept 30th 10am-11:30am
Kanerahtiio Hemlock is the Indigenous Pedagogical Consultant at Dawson College and he will give a 30-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute video clip before opening the floor for discussion.
To register for this presentation and to see more offerings, please visit: Indigenous Perspectives
Lecture and Walking Tour Inspired by work around the Truth and Reconciliation 94 Calls to Action
This activity is part of the Dawson Well-Being for All Initiative (release available for Support Staff, Professionals, and Managers). Open to students as well.
Led by Ben Lander (Faculty, Dept. of History & Coordinator of the Decolonization and Indigenization Studies Certificate)
This lecture and walking tour are inspired by work around the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, and other requests by First Nations communities and Indigenous organizations for settlers and society to face the truth of their history. This presentation will discuss the colonial history of the land that Dawson College sits on. It will focus on the individuals, organizations, and related processes that led to the dispossession of the island of Montreal from its original inhabitants, as well as some of the earliest forms of residential schools which exist just down the street from our college.
Two session options:
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, from 12 to 2 PM
Meet in 7C.5 (Rose Lounge)
or
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, from 2 to 4 PM
Meet in 7C.5 (Rose Lounge)
Purchase your Orange Shirt in the Upper Atrium
The Campus Life Office will set up in the Upper Atrium selling Orange t-shirts to the community. The t-shirts will feature the artwork entitled “Remember Me” by Shayla Chloë Oroho:te Etienne, a student in Visual Arts at Dawson. Proceeds will go to the Dawson First Peoples’ Centre to support their programming and services for students who visit the FPC.
National Film Board short films by Indigenous Creators in 3C.1
A collection of short films selected by Cinema-Communications faculty member Dipti Gupta will be shown on rotation in 3C.1 and Upper Atrium from September 21 to 30, 2026. Stop by for lunch and learn something new!
Dawson Library
Stop by the library (5C.1) during the month of September to browse our book display for Orange Shirt Day. Selections include fiction, reports, monographs, graphic novels, and memoirs on the topic of residential schools in Canada. The seven volumes of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Report are also featured.
Access the full list of titles through the Dawson Orange Shirt Day book list for more book suggestions.
Don’t forget to grab an Orange Shirt Day bookmark from the book display, with featured art by Shayla Chloë Oroho:te Etienne.
Off-Campus Activity
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, from 1 to 4 PM: Every Child Matters March
Organized by The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal
Visit the The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal website for more details.
Virtual Lunch and Learns from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba
Join free virtual immersive experiences to UN-learn the myths of colonial history in Canada. Lunch and Learn sessions are open to the public, From September 21-25, 2026.
Why Wear Orange?
Both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day are on September 30. Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters.” The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.
To find out more, visit https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html
