A special smudging ceremony, flag raising and walk of reconciliation highlighted a day of reflection, engagement and learning for students and staff at St. Clair College in honour of Orange Shirt Day – the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Members of the St. Clair College community came together on Sept. 30, 2026, to commemorate the residential school experience of Indigenous Peoples, to honour the lifelong healing journey of the survivors and their families and to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation.
"I'd like to give thanks out to those people that were silenced. Those people that couldn't be here today. I'd like to give that chi-miigwech (thank you) for all those people around us, for all these supporters, for everyone coming out here," said Jacob Lallean, who is from Bkejwanong First Nation. "I really do appreciate it, because youth, we're that voice or those next big leaders. So, we need to keep our voice heard, loud and proud."
Lallean, a student at St. Clair College, led the smudging ceremony at the front entrance of St. Clair College's Main Windsor Campus, where those in attendance cleansed their bodies, minds and spirits of negative energy through the traditional smudge of tobacco, cedar, sage and sweet grass.
"I'd like to give thanks out to all those people that came out today," he added.
A similar smudging ceremony and flag raising was also held at the Chatham Campus.
After the smudging ceremonies, those in attendance posed for pictures with the Every Child Matters flag, which was later raised.
Staff also gathered for a walk of reflection around both the Windsor and Chatham campuses, where many wore orange shirts in solidarity.
Wearing orange recognizes the many losses experienced by students, their families, and communities, over several generations, including loss of family and culture, language, freedom, parenting, self-esteem and worth, and painful experiences of abuse and neglect.
"It's just a day to remember the people that went to residential schools, and also the ones that didn't come back from residential schools," said Tina Jacobs, an Indigenous learning advisor at St. Clair's Indigenous Student Services. "It warmed my heart today to see everyone come out to our flag raising at St. Clair and participate in the walk. And I'm thankful for Jacob and the other indigenous students that came out here today to participate and show support."
"This day just means a lot. It just means that they're not forgotten, and we can continue to share awareness," Jacobs added.
There are more ways to show support outside of Orange Shirt Day, including donating to the Susie Kicknosway-Jones Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to a student enrolled full-time at the College who identifies as First Nations, Métis or Inuit and is either a residential school survivor or an intergenerational residential school survivor. Donations to the scholarship can be made through the St. Clair College Foundation Office.
Orange Shirt Day marks a single day on the calendar, but efforts toward meaningful reconciliation can continue throughout the year. St. Clair College is committed to recognizing and celebrating Indigenous cultures, histories, and knowledge throughout the year in our academic programming, events, professional development, and other initiatives.
This work is led by Indigenous Student Services and guided by our Indigenous Education Council as a way of providing ongoing, genuine, caring, and empathetic ways of learning and recognizing the legacy of residential schools.
To learn more, The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is offering a series of lunch and learns this week.
If you have any questions, or if recent events leave you feeling like you need to talk to someone, please feel free to contact St. Clair College's Indigenous Services:
- Indigenous Learner Advisor – Tina Jacobs
- Indigenous Counsellor – Muriel Sampson
