2026 graduates will be first cohort to complete full K–12 Residential School curriculum
On Orange Shirt Day 2025, FNHA is celebrating the start of a landmark school year, one that moves us closer towards achieving the “Truth" in Truth and Reconciliation. The class of 2026 will be the first cohort in BC to complete their K–12 public education with the history of Indian Residential Schools fully integrated into their curriculum.
As FNHA honours survivors of Residential Schools and remembers the children who never made it home, education remains the most crucial component in telling their stories.
“My mother is a survivor of Residential School and went on to become a nurses' aid. When confronted with racism, she rose above it. She taught me that our past does not dictate our future," says FNHA CEO Monica McAlduff. “As a mixed-race person from the Secwépemc Nation on my mother's side and French-Canadian on my father's side, I raise my hands to the youth receiving this education about our shared history, our shared Truth."
First Nations youth entering the workforce are also making an impact grounded in lived experience. Taanggunaay Grinder, daughter of FNHA Director of Cultural Safety and Humility, Lauren Brown, recently made a meaningful contribution to Indigenous issues during her internship at ICBC. When the insurance corporation announced its reconciliation plan, Grinder asked leadership for key performance indicators.
“I was very lucky at ICBC and was always told my voice as a youth on the team and an Indigenous woman was valued. Reconciliation in relation to ICBC is a fairly new concept and being able to contribute to their reconciliation journey was an immense privilege," says Grinder. “It is very important for young people to have an understanding of colonization and residential schools because education is power and knowledge is the basis of change."
In 2021, the Government of Canada passed a bill designating Sept. 30 a statutory federal holiday called “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation." Not simply a day off work, this was Call to Action #80 of the 94 recommendations from the final report of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2008-2015), encouraging all Canadians to spend the day learning and reflecting on the truth of Canada's history.
Orange Shirt Day started in 2013 in Williams Lake, BC, inspired by the story of Residential School survivor Phyllis Webstad, founding member and current CEO of the Orange Shirt Society. In 1973, six-year-old Phyllis attended the St. Joseph Mission Residential School wearing a new orange shirt gifted to her by her grandmother. The school stripped her of the shirt upon arrival, the first of many attempts to rob her of her Secwépemc culture.
Webstad will be on hand to honour the Class of 2026 at a historic graduation ceremony at BC Place in April 2026. The Orange Shirt Society is collaborating with school districts to ensure representation from graduating classes from across the province. Graduates, friends, family, community members and allies are invited to join in celebrating this powerful moment on the journey of reconciliation. Tickets will be available in early 2026.
Systemic and institutional changes are also happening across other sectors of society, including BC's health care system. As the health and wellness partner to First Nations people and communities in BC, FNHA considers reconciliation a fundamental part of its purpose as an organization. FNHA is committed to working with partners in BC to eliminate anti-Indigenous racism in health care and achieve health equity.
Cultural Safety and Humility Resources
To learn more, visit Cultural Safety and Humility.
Further Learning
There are many ways to learn more about Canada's history with Indigenous people, these are some suggestions to get started.
Truth:
Reconciliation:
Wellness and Cultural Supports:
FNHA is also providing cultural, emotional, and mental health counselling services. For more information, please visit Mental Health and Wellness.
FNHA's Mental Health and Wellness Supports page: Mental Health and Wellness Supports (fnha.ca)
Tsow-Tun-Le-Lum Society (cultural support and counselling): 1-888-403-3123 Indian Residential School Survivors Society: 1-800-721-0066 or 604-985-4464 KUU-US Crisis Line Society:
Adults/Elders: 250-723-4050;
Children/Youth: 250-723-2040;
Toll-free: 1-800-588-8717
|
