Children are Sacred: A Fundraising Concert in Recognition of Orange Shirt Day

Sept. 22, 2021

In recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 at noon, our Children are Sacred: A Fundraising Concert will help celebrate Indigenous musicians, honour and recognize the children who were lost in residential schools, and honour the Survivors and their families.

Children are Sacred will feature Indigenous performers Barbara Assiginaak, Sonny-Ray Day Rider, Cara Loft, and Rene Meshake.

While Orange Shirt Day has been recognized for nearly ten years, this year will be especially difficult for Indigenous communities, with the ongoing excavations of unmarked graves at residential schools across Canada. Click here to learn more about the significance of Orange Shirt Day.

We encourage the Laurier community to help us raise $5000 for Woodland Cultural Centre, which serves to promote Indigenous history, art, language and culture. The organization is in the midst of restoring the Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School, which operated in Brantford from 1828 to 1970. The residential school assimilated First Nations children from Six Nations, as well as other communities throughout Ontario and Quebec.

Donate here

We also hope our viewers will educate themselves on Canada’s residential school history and the ongoing traumas of this legacy.

Our September 30 noon hour concert will premiere through our Faculty of Music YouTube channel.

Program:

Barbara Assiginaak, Nibi
Sonny-Ray Day Rider, Elementerra
Cara Loft, The Wildflower Song
Rene Meshake, Tuck Me In

Emotional supports:

The content of this concert is difficult. Here are a few supports:

WLU Indigenous Students Centre (for Laurier students)

Homewood Health (for Laurier faculty and staff)

24-Hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line 1-866-925-4419 for school survivors

HERE 24/7 for residents in Waterloo – Wellington https://here247.ca