BARRHEAD - The Nation Day for Truth and Reconciliation event was held on Sept. 27 through the morning to include school students.
Robin Berard, Barrhead's Indigenous leader and instructor was the master of the ceremonies.
The crowd gathered was a sea of orange shirts in recognition of the Orange Shirt Day event to honour children and remember the impacts of residential schools on indigenous families.
Orange shirt signs lined the school grounds reminding everyone that Every Child Matters.
Barrhead Composite High School had a display of orange flags arranged on the front lawn, part of a ceremony on Monday Sept 23.
Berard shared her own story of how residential schools have impacted herself and her family.
Part of the ceremony was the raising of a teepee.
Berard explained the process and got the crowd involved identifying all of the values represented by the parts of the teepee.
The first three poles represent the grandmother, grandfather and child.
There are 14 poles that make up a teepee frame.
The remaining poles represent values taught by mothers, respect, love, trust, honesty,
The teepee represents a woman in a long skirt. The flaps represent her hands. Each morning when the suns comes up the woman prays because the sun gives out us life according to Berard.
The indigenous women were the ones who put up the teepees.
A teepee was the first toy given to young indigenous girls. Boys received bows explained Berard.
Once the teepee was complete the students had the opportunity to see the teepee up close and ask questions.
