Community News

LIBRARY HAS MANY RESOURCES FOR ORANGE SHIRT DAY

BRANCHES WILL OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE ON SEPT. 30

TAMARA BOTTING tbotting@sachem.ca

Why do people wear orange shirts on Sept. 30? What's a residential school? What does reconciliation mean?

Parents and educators alike may find themselves at a loss for answers when kids start asking tough questions around the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is also known as Orange Shirt Day. That's why the Hamilton Public Library is offering a wide range of resources for all ages.

The library "encourages all Canadians to learn about the stories, experiences and legacies of Canada's

residential school victims and survivors," said Shelley McKay, communications manager, in an email.

She noted that there are a number of free programs being offered for all ages; these include "virtual presentations and tours, concerts, movies and story times."

A full list of Orange Shirt Day programs is available on the library's website at bit.ly/HPLeventsOrangeShirt, and the library has compiled lists of resources for children, youth and adults online at hpl.ca/Orange-ShirtDay. These include books to read, documentaries to watch and music to listen to, all by Indigenous creators sharing their stories in their own voices.

Across all of its branches, the library has been making efforts throughout the year to highlight "Indigenous

titles, author talks and events, including month-long programming each June, as part of National Indigenous History

Month," McKay said.

This year's selection for One Book One Community, or Hamilton Reads, is "Tainna: The Unseen

Ones," short stories by award-winning Indigenous author Norma Dunning.

For Glanbrook residents wanting to find resources close to home, McKay said, "Please visit the Binbrook and Mount Hope branches for collection displays featuring Indigenous titles."

Besides providing resources, the library has been working to create opportunities for relationship building in several ways.

McKay said the library has partnered with Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg, which describes itself on its website as "A not-for-profit charitable Indigenous organization that provides highquality programs and services across the entire life cycle to the Indigenous population in Hamilton, Brantford and surrounding areas."

This year, the library launched the Indigenous Market, which is a monthly marketplace featuring artists and makers at the Central library branch, where shoppers can find an assortment of wares.

Finally, if you happen to be in any Hamilton library branch on Sept. 30 at 2:15 p.m., there will be moment of silence to honour "the lives of the 215 children found buried at what was once Canada's largest Indigenous residential school near Kamloops, British Columbia," McKay said.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation upon us, we wanted to know more about where people could find resources to educate themselves and their families on the significance of the day and the history that lead to it.

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

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2022-09-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

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