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A crowd of students, faculty and university staff walk past the University of Manitoba administration building wearing orange shirts.

Every Child Matters

Rady Faculty observes Orange Shirt Day with Nursing Students’ walk and new Mural in Brodie Centre

September 28, 2022 — 

On September 29, hundreds of Rady Faculty of Health Sciences students, staff and faculty will observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Bannatyne and Fort Gary campuses honouring residential school survivors, acknowledging systemic racism in the health care system and the important role health-care professionals play in providing equitable mental, physical and emotional health care to every patient.

Bannatyne campus

At Bannatyne campus, Ongomiizwin-Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences will honour the children who did not make it home and the thousands of survivors of Indian Residential schools and will unveil a new mural by an Indigenous artist.

The event will feature reflections from Elder Albert McLeod on the impact of Residential Schools on 2SLGBTQIAA children and youth who were or are Survivors; and Dr. Diana Craig, a first-year UM resident in emergency medicine. Craig will speak on how the legacy of the residential schools has impacted her and how she has continued to honour her healing path with a focus towards her academic goals.

There will also be an unveiling of a new mural in Brodie Centre by Anishinaabe Woodlands artist Blake Angeconeb.

To mark the national launch of Mastercard Foundation’s EleV Program on October 18, EleV collaborated with Indigenous artists to explore the concept of what “taking flight together” means to them through a series of creative projects.

EleV partnered with Ongomiizwin – the Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing and Angeconeb to create a large-scale mural on Bannatyne campus that emphasizes the shared mission of supporting Indigenous youth in their pathways through education and on to meaningful livelihoods.

The event takes place Thursday, September 29  from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. in the Brodie Centre Atrium, 727 McDermot Avenue, Bannatyne Campus, University of Manitoba.

Fort Garry campus

At Fort Garry campus, the Nursing Students’ Association, College of Nursing will hold an Orange Shirt Day awareness walk.

Participants will include University of Manitoba President and Vice-Chancellor Michael Benarroch; Dr. Netha Dyck, Dean, College of Nursing; Rhonda Campbell, Director, Mahkwa omushki kiim: Pathway to Indigenous Nursing Education; Dr. Carry Miller, Associate Vice-President (Indigenous), Vivian Umeohabike, senior stick of the Nursing Students’ Association, and others.

The walk takes place Thursday, September 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., from the Helen Glass Centre for Nursing (89 Curry Place) to National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (177 Dysart Road).

At 10:30 a.m., following an opening prayer, the walk will depart from the Helen Glass Centre for Nursing and conclude at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR). Nursing students will then renew their pledge to the NCTR. Following the ceremony, participants will walk back to the Helen Glass Centre for refreshments and presentations, including a performance by the Aboriginal School of Dance.

“In nursing, we talk about providing care that is holistic and culturally safe. We must be cognizant of the experiences of Indigenous peoples, and how the residential school system has impacted and continues to affect them to this day,” said Umeohabike. “Orange Shirt Day provides a platform for cultural awareness of the stories of Indigenous peoples. As health-care workers, it is our responsibility to support Indigenous people on their road to healing through a client-centred approach to care.”

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