By Shaaranki Kulenthirarasa

Students, staff and faculty members at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) gathered at the Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre (SLC) to commemorate Ozaawaa Babigoyaan Giizhigad, also known as Orange Shirt Day on Sept. 30.

The day started off with an opening speech and various presentations by Indigenous speakers, including Crystal Osawamick, manager of Indigenous Events and Special Projects.

Attendees also took part in an Indigenous feast and a craft-making session, where they made mini orange shirt flags.

Bianca Alonzo, third-year child and youth care student at TMU believes this was an important event to hold at the university, especially due to the history of the university’s name.

“I think it’s important to realize the history of it and this is a step in moving forward in decolonization and I think it’s important for students to recognize that,” she said.

Nellani Jeyaseelan, another third-year child and youth care student at TMU said she returned to the event this year to show her support for the Indigenous community after attending the event with one of her classes last year. She said that as a Tamil student, it was important for her to educate herself on Indigenous culture.

“Maveerar Naal [Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day] is very important to me so I think that this is important for the Indigenous [communities]…it’s a way of me supporting them just as they would be supporting us,” she said.

Later in the day, attendees also took part in a silent memorial walk from Jorgenson hall to Kerr Quad, and watched a live broadcast of a 90-minute commemorative gathering called Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation from Parliament Hill in Ottawa.