What does it mean to acknowledge the land we live, learn and play on? At St. Mary, students explored that question in the days leading up to Orange Shirt Day. Their answers took shape through writing, artwork and classroom conversations. By the time they were finished, student-created land acknowledgements lined the school hallways, each reflecting what students had learned.
Understanding the Land We Share
The Ottawa Catholic School Board’s schools are located on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Peoples. At St. Mary, students learned about this history, the Algonquin People’s continuing connection to the land and why acknowledging it matters.
Grade 3 teacher Meghan Carvery introduced the school-wide activity through morning updates. Teachers then used resources from the OCSB Indigenous Education website to guide classroom discussions about the land, Indigenous history and reconciliation.
Students Share What They Learned
Each classroom approached the activity differently. Some students created an acknowledgement together, while others worked with a partner or independently.
Students used writing and artwork to share what they had learned. They also read their work aloud to classmates, giving everyone a chance to hear different ideas and reflections.
“Co-creating a land acknowledgement with students provides an age-appropriate entry point into Truth and Reconciliation,” said Ms. Carvery. “Unpacking our connection to the local land and acknowledging traditional territory opens the door to deeper discussions about Indigenous history, including the legacy of residential schools and the ongoing importance of Every Child Matters.”
Once the acknowledgements were completed, they were displayed outside classroom doors throughout the school. Ms. Carvery’s students walked through the hallways to read what other classes had created and see how students in different grades had expressed their learning.
Why Orange Shirt Day Matters
Orange Shirt Day, observed on September 30 alongside the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, honours the Indigenous children who were taken from their families and forced to attend residential schools. It remembers the children who never returned home and recognizes Survivors, their families and communities who continue to live with the effects of the residential school system.
The day reminds us why learning the truth about residential schools matters and why the message that Every Child Matters must never be forgotten.
More Than Words on a Page
The land acknowledgements may have started as a classroom activity, but the conversations they encouraged are just as important as the finished work.
At St. Mary, students are learning that acknowledging the land means understanding its history, recognizing the Indigenous Peoples who have cared for it for generations and respecting their continuing connection to it.
And that learning doesn’t end when Orange Shirt Day is over.
