September 30 — Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — is a time to reflect on the legacy of residential schools, honour Survivors, and commit to reconciliation through meaningful action, as individuals and as a community.
This day is not a standalone moment, but part of a much longer path — one that asks us to listen deeply, learn continuously, and move toward action together.
As part of our ongoing journey, the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House Truth and Reconciliation Committee is opening space for the community to come together through film and conversation — creating an opportunity to learn alongside one another and consider how each of us can carry forward the work of reconciliation.
On September 30, you are invited to join us in learning and reflection at a community film screening of Sugarcane. Directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, Sugarcane is a powerful, award-winning documentary that investigates the history of a residential school in Williams Lake, BC. The film exposes decades of forced separation, assimilation, and abuse experienced by Indigenous children at the hands of church and government. Urgent and deeply moving, it sheds light on hidden truths of cultural genocide while also celebrating the strength, love, and resilience of Indigenous communities working to heal and break cycles of intergenerational trauma.
The screening will be followed by a community debrief discussion, facilitated by experienced social worker educators and counsellors Marie Nightbird and Jennifer-Lee Koble. This discussion will provide an important opportunity to sit with the truths shared in the film — and with the discomfort or difficult emotions they may bring. Taking time to reflect deeply is an important part of honouring the realities and experiences of Survivors and Indigenous communities, and of sitting with that truth before moving toward action.
This shared moment of learning and reflection is only one step. Later in the fall, we will reconvene for a follow-up event focused on exploring meaningful actions we can take — together and individually — on the journey of Reconciliation. We hope you will be able to join us.
DATE: September 30, 2025 | 1:30 PM
LOCATION: Kits House
REGISTRATION: Pre-registration is required. REGISTRATION IS NOW FULL.