College Reflects on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Every Child Matters flags were raised at campuses in Summerside and Charlottetown. 

In Charlottetown, staff and students gathered at the Prince of Wales Campus and were welcomed with the Mi’kmaq honour song and a smudging ceremony led by Elder Junior Peter Paul. Following the ceremony, the College unveiled new Land Acknowledgement plaques, which have been installed at all campus locations. 

The Land Acknowledgement plaques installed at all Holland College campuses were crafted by Indigenous artisan Annie Martin of RoseWolf Creations.  

In Summerside, students gathered during the lunch hour for a smudging ceremony and the Land Acknowledgement plaque unveiling, led by Richard Pellissier-Lush of Lennox Island First Nation.

Richard Pellissier-Lush, a Knowledge Keeper and Holland College alumnus, led a smudging ceremony at the Summerside Waterfront Campus with students, faculty and staff. 

For Mia Labobe, a student who serves on Holland College’s Indigenous Advisory Council, these ceremonies and plaques are an important step towards putting Reconciliation into practice on campus.  

“True healing doesn't erase the scar; it demands that our actions speak louder than any words we leave behind," she says. 

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All Holland College campuses will be closed September 30 in observance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.  

For more information about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action visit https://nctr.ca/  

For information and resources about The Mi’kmaq of Epekwitk, visit www.lnuey.ca 

To connect with Holland College about initiatives that support Indigenous students or Reconciliation in practice, contact Sasha Nandlal (she/them) at the Office of Culture and Inclusion. Svnandlal@hollandcollege.com  

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