{"id":6023,"date":"2022-09-27T22:12:05","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T05:12:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dixonsociety.ca\/?p=6023"},"modified":"2023-07-22T17:11:32","modified_gmt":"2023-07-23T00:11:32","slug":"national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dixonsociety.ca\/national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation\/","title":{"rendered":"National Day for Truth and Reconciliation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"National<\/a>
Beaded Orange Shirt Day pin. | Government of Ontario<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On June 2021, the Government of Canada passed Bill C-5<\/a> to name September 30 as a federal statutory day of remembrance. It is observed as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.  September 30th<\/sup> is also known as Orange Shirt Day.  It is a day where we commemorate, witness and honour the healing journeys of residential school survivors and their families.  It is an invitation to engage in meaningful discussion with friends, family and colleagues about the history and continued legacy of the residential school system.  At Dixon, September 30th<\/sup> also marks a day we recognize the overrepresentation of First Nations, M\u00e9tis and Inuit women and girls as victims of violence in Canada.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost six in ten<\/a> (56%) Indigenous women have experienced physical assault while almost half<\/a> (46%) of Indigenous women have experienced sexual assault. In comparison, about a third of non-Indigenous women have experienced physical assault (34%) or sexual assault (33%) in their lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to understand the disproportionate experience of violence among Indigenous women, it is important to highlight the damaging history of colonialism which shifted the role of Indigenous women in the household and in Indigenous communities (Sharma et al. 2021). Prior to arrival of white men on Turtle Island, women held a significant place in Indigenous societies. Indigenous women held positions of leadership and wielded decision-making power. However, colonialism forcibly altered traditional matrilineal views while contributing to the normalization of violence against Indigenous women. In particular, policies such as the Indian Act denied Indigenous women of many rights and excluded Indigenous women from community governance (Sharma et al. 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below are some highlights from a recent study<\/a> by the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics on Violence against Indigenous Women in Canada:<\/p>\n\n\n\n