Every year, on Sept. 30, Canadians come together to recognize National Truth and Reconciliation Day.
But for Angelina Bomberry, an Indigenous student in the Arts Administration and Cultural Management Graduate Certificate program, this day demands more than just recognition.
“To me, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day dedicated to reflecting on and addressing Canada’s history toward Indigenous peoples,” Bomberry said.
“I do not view this day as a holiday or a day off from work or school. This day should be used as a time of honouring residential school survivors, those who never made it home, and intergenerational survivors,” she said.
Originally from the Mohawk Nation and Turtle Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River Reservation, Bomberry said she uses this day to take care of her own mental health.
She also spends time with her family, since her father is a residential school survivor.
Her father, currently in his early '60s, attended Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ont., with his three sisters and brother at a young age.
“When I was younger, I never heard him talk about it ever,” Bomberry said.
“He kind of kept it to himself, I think, because he didn’t want to make me and my sister feel uncomfortable, or upset about his experience,” she said.
Bomberry said her father was also a Sixties Scoop survivor, who was placed within a Native home on the Six Nations.
The Sixties Scoop, which occurred in the 1960s, was the extensive removal of Indigenous children from their homes and communities. From there, they would be placed into mostly non-Indigenous, middle-class homes throughout Canada and the United States.
This was also where he and his brother were separated from his sisters. She described the home he was in as “very abusive.”
“It didn’t allow him to practice our own traditional beliefs, and rather follow the church, so he would also face trauma there as well,” Bomberry said.
Now, she said her father has been invited to schools to talk about his experience and how he has improved since that time.
Bomberry said he then went into the United States Marine Corps, where he learned to get through the trauma using athletics.
She said hearing this is what inspired her to embark on her journey into athletics, too.
“My dad is one of my biggest supporters,” Bomberry said. He’s only missed five [of my] games [in my] entire softball journey,” she said.
As a third-year pitcher for Humber softball, Bomberry said during Orange Shirt Day games in the past, the team wore shirts with logos designed by Indigenous artists. The Canadian anthem was also cut from the program.
She said they even invited residential school survivors out to watch their game and included a first pitch ceremony that was thrown by a survivor.
Last season, the team also beaded their own orange shirt pin to wear on their visors during the game.
Bomberry said the importance of beadwork was something she wanted the team to understand because it serves a deep connection to her heritage.
“These pins were created as a way for each teammate to carry a physical reminder of what they have learned,” she said.
“So, every time they see their pin or hold their pin, they will be reminded not only of the lesson but also the connection between beadwork and our stories,” Bomberry said.
She also said that she would like more collaborations between the Athletics Department and the Indigenous Education and Engagement Centre.
“There has been some involvement like having an Indigenous designed jersey for the rugby team, and I would like to see every varsity team have one,” Bomberry said.
She said she would like Humber softball to continue these dedicated games, even when she leaves the program.
As for the Ontario Colleges Athletics Association involvement, Bomberry said they should hold Every Child Matters-themed or Orange Shirt Day games, during the whole month or on the 30th of September.
In terms of the learning aspect, she said there are numerous sources across the internet and books that people could use to better understand this day.
One of them is Humber Polytechnic’s Truth and Reconciliation cultural awareness training.
The training, known as the Four Seasons of Reconciliation, is delivered through Blackboard in a three-hour online course and is divided into 10 modules.
It was made to help people learn about the history and current situation of Indigenous peoples.
“There is no excuse for not knowing,” Bomberry said. “There are so many other education resources out there for you to ‘not know’ and just be ignorant,” she said.
