Standing in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples

May 5th annually marks the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit Peoples, also known as Red Dress Day. The ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people is a direct result of colonization. In Canada, more than six in ten (63%) Indigenous women have experienced physical or sexual assault in their lifetime, and the impact of this disproportionate violence is felt across all areas of life.

On Red Dress Day, and every day, we honour the lives and legacies of MMIWG2S+ by listening to their stories and commemorating their strength and spirits.

As part of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, the Calls for Justice include:

2.1 — We call upon all governments to acknowledge, recognize, and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples to their cultures and languages as inherent rights, constitutionally protected under section 35 of the Constitution.

2.6 — We call upon all governments to educate their citizens about, and to confront and eliminate, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia.

15.2 — Decolonize by learning the true history of Canada and Indigenous history in your local area. Learn about and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ history, cultures, pride, and diversity, acknowledging the land you live on and its importance to local Indigenous communities, both historically and today.

To read the full report, visit: Calls for Justice

Crisis & Support:

• Hope for Wellness Help Line — Indigenous-centered mental health counselling available 24/7 in English, French, Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut: 1-855-242-3310
• National Family and Survivors Circle — A survivor and family-led organization supporting MMIWG2S+ families
• Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) — Advocacy and resources specifically focused on MMIWG2S+

Learn & Take Action:

• Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into MMIWG — The full national inquiry report and resources
• Métis Artist Jaime Black & The REDress Project — The installation art project that inspired Red Dress Day
• Government of Canada — MMIWG2S+ Resources — Federal resources and ongoing action plan updates
• 2 Spirits in Motion — Resources and community support specifically for Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQI+ people
• Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC) — Local and provincial support for urban Indigenous peoples in Ontario, including those affected by MMIWG2S+

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation  

Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | 6 – 8 p.m. 

Location: Rotary Park, 177 Lake Driveway West, Ajax. Parking is available on site. All are welcome to attend. 

The Town of Ajax invites the community to gather in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to honour Survivors, remember the children who never returned home and reflect on our shared responsibility to advance reconciliation.

On Wednesday, September 30, 2026 the Town will gather with the community to ceremonially mark the naming of Zhaagawaamikong Aazhokigan at Rotary Park (6- 8 p.m.) and unveil its commemorative sign, featuring original artwork by Anishinaabe artist Sharifah Marsden. The naming recognizes the longstanding and continuing presence of Indigenous Peoples and their relationships with the Lands, Waters and Air of this place.

What to expect:

• Ceremonial unveiling of the new Zhaagawaamikong Aazhokigan sign and original artwork.
• Drumming and singing by Ashayung from Georgina Island First Nation.
• Candlelight vigil led by Indigenous Healer Grey Cloud (James Carpenter) to honour Survivors, families and Indigenous communities impacted by colonization and the Canadian residential school system.
• We are encouraging the community to wear orange in honour of Phyllis Webstad’s story and the Every Child Matters Movement.

Please note: Seating is limited and will be prioritized for attendees with limited mobility. All other attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair if needed.

About the artist

Sharifah Marsden is a traditionally and classically trained multifaceted Indigenous artist from the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, now living on Syilx Territory in Keremeos, British Columbia. Taught to paint in this style by her late mother, Laura Marsden, Sharifah carries forward a lineage of artistic and cultural knowledge through her work.

Sharifah’s paintings reflect her early training in the Woodland style pioneered by Norval Morrisseau. This style, rooted in Anishinaabe spirituality and worldview, is characterized by bright colours and bold black lines representing the connectedness of all life.

Trained from a young age in jingle dress and fancy dance, Sharifah also brings traditional knowledge of beadwork, leatherwork, and powwow regalia into her visual art practice. The Anishinaabe teachings of minobimaadziiwin, “the good life” and the Seven Grandfather Teachings are central to Sharifah’s work. Through visual storytelling, she shares these values while embodying them in her daily life.

Central to Marsden’s vision is the inclusion of images of Indigenous people, women, and children in public art and contemporary landscapes, creating visibility, fostering inclusion, and uplifting community.

Learn more about Sharifah Marsden: Sharifah Marsden website

We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is situated within the traditional and treaty territory of the Mississaugas. More specifically, the Mississauga’s of Scugog Island First Nation, signatories of the Gunshot Treaty of 1788 and the Williams Treaties of 1923. This land is, and will continue to be, home to the Indigenous Peoples. Let us acknowledge the mistakes and traumas of the past through authenticity and support truth and reconciliation. Let us engage and celebrate Indigenous communities by being leaders of action in acknowledging the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations towards truth and reconciliation. Let us keep these principles close, as we continue towards truth and reconciliation and as we move forward with kindness and respect as a community. 

We stand in solidarity and grief with Indigenous communities across Canada. They are mourning the ongoing discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves of missing Indigenous children at former residential school sites. Their collective understandings about the dark truths of Canada’s past – and present – are being publicly validated. Survivors, families and communities are continually triggered and traumatized.

These horrifying discoveries confirm what Indigenous communities have long asserted about our country’s history of colonialism, and the efforts of the Canadian government to assimilate Indigenous peoples through the implementation of residential schools, resulting in cultural genocide. This is a shameful policy and period that lives on in the hearts and minds of Indigenous peoples and practices of Canadian institutions. Canadians are waking up to the magnitude of these actions, and are no longer able to ignore these truths.

Our nation would not be facing this truth today without the resilience and resolve of the Indigenous community – in spite of systemic racism, endless tragedy and countless setbacks. First Nation communities, such as we have seen with Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc and Cowessess, are done waiting, and are taking the painful steps alone to locate their missing children and bring them home.

However, there is more truth to be uncovered, and significant action required to improve Indigenous communities and the lives of Indigenous people. This long overdue action includes clean drinking water, livable housing, equitable education facilities and quality health services. This will require the collective support of the entire country and all levels of government. (Please read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action Report.)

In a show of support of the Indigenous community during this difficult time, we are creating space from June 26 through July 1 for mourning, understanding, education and action by Ajax residents.

We have ordered all flags at Town facilities lowered, requested that our corporate social media channels go silent, and created a webpage featuring the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, Indigenous learning resources and ways residents can support Indigenous communities.

Further, on behalf of the residents of Ajax, the Town will be donating a total of $5,000 to three organizations, including Water First ($3,000), Indian Residential School Survivor Society ($1,000) and Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services ($1,000) to show our collective support as a community.

While we know the work of reconciliation is much more than pausing social media or wearing a ribbon, we wanted to ensure we created space to inform, impact and inspire residents to support Indigenous communities.

The recent events have sparked a profound interest in the physical, emotional and mental well-being of the Indigenous community. It is important we act on this concern. We must not turn inward and continue to ignore our past, but instead, use our voices to bring every lost Indigenous child home and strongly advocate for the 94 Calls to Action to be implemented.

The Indigenous Community & Healing Garden at the Ajax Pickering Hospital is a designated healing space for hospital staff, patients, volunteers and the surrounding community. 

As visitors make their way into the garden, both sides of the entryway are surrounded by planting beds featuring perennials and sacred medicines. To continue promoting peace, healing, stress relief and psychological comfort, benches are placed to either side to welcome visitors to sit, enjoy and observe the natural beauty of the space. 

The Williams Treaties were signed in 1923 between the Canadian government and several Anishinaabe and Mississauga First Nations in central and eastern Ontario. These treaties covered large areas of land that had not been formally ceded through earlier agreements, including lands around Lake Simcoe, Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough, Durham Region, and north to Georgian Bay.

The treaties were intended to resolve disputes over land use and title stemming from increasing settlement and resource extraction. However, they were controversial: the Indigenous signatories were not fairly compensated, and their rights to hunting, fishing, and harvesting were extinguished.

The land that is now Ajax is part of the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, an Anishinaabe people who have lived in the Great Lakes region for centuries. Before European settlement, the Mississaugas stewarded this land, relying on it for hunting, fishing, farming, and cultural practices. 

A branch of the greater Ojibwa Nation, the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation can trace their connection to the community back more than 300 years, settling on bountiful lands near Lake Ontario after being uprooted from their former homelands north of Lake Huron. The current First Nation lands on Scugog Island — an estimated 800 acres at the north end of the peninsula, just east of Port Perry. Read more…

For more information on the origins, history and future of MSIFN, visit scugogfirstnation.com

• The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Reports
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 94 Calls to Action
• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Indigenous Peoples

• The History of Residential Schools in Canada
• Anishinabek.ca – An Overview of the Indian Residential School System
• Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
• CBC 10 Books about Residential Schools to Read with your Kids
• Ajax Public Library: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books– IBBY’s ‘From Sea to Sea to Sea” 2021 List: Children’s titles featuring First Nations, Metis, and Inuit voices
• Ajax Public Library: National Indigenous History Month: Titles for all ages
• National Indigenous History Month Resources and Promotional material
• Learn more about National Indigenous History Month

• Canada Helps.Org
• Bawaajigewin Aboriginal Community Circles
• Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services
• Water First
• Indian Residential School Survivor Society

• KUU-US Crisis Line
  1-800-588-8717
• Indian Residential School Survivors and Family
  1-866-925-4419

June 21 has been designated National Indigenous Peoples Day by the Government of Canada and celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ culture and heritage.   

Since 2023, The Town of Ajax has held two annual Indigenous-led sunrise ceremonies to commemorate the day and will continue to host this tradition in years to come. 

September 30 is recognized across Canada as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a federal statutory holiday established to honour the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. 

It is also known as Orange Shirt Day, which originated from the story of Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwepemc (Shuswap) woman from British Columbia. On her first day at a residential school, Phyllis had her new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, taken away from her. Her experience has come to symbolize the stripping away of culture, identity, and dignity that Indigenous children faced in residential schools across Canada. 

Orange Shirt Day is a grassroots movement that began in 2013, and it continues to grow as a national symbol of remembrance and commitment to reconciliation. 

This day is a time for learning, reflection, and action—a moment for individuals, communities, governments, and institutions to come together to recognize the legacy of residential schools and to advance the 94 Calls to Action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada in 2015.