As part of the Board-wide events taking place to recognize Truth and Reconciliation Week, Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) and the Indigenous Education Advisory Committee, hosted an Oak Tree Planting Ceremony on September 27.
The ceremony began with a welcome and land acknowledgement from TLDSB superintendent of learning, Jennifer Johnston, followed by the Thanksgiving Address and message from Elder Christopher Stock. Knowledge Holder Larry O’Connor then conducted a smudge for all attendees to participate in, which led into a Tobacco Ceremony. The tree was then planted, and all attendees were invited to tie an orange ribbon to the tree to represent the children lost at residential schools.
The red oak tree was chosen, as it is a strong resilient symbol that, like many of our relatives with roots, has borne witness to our past and will protect us into our future. The tree was planted in honour of the legacy of residential schools, and to honour those who died, those who survived, their families, and all Indigenous communities.
