Clifford Pereira - Canadian Secret Sailors

“The Life of a Writer” – A Conversation with UBC Library’s Writer-in-Residence Kevin Spenst

Peña Room (Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Level 3)

Date & Time: Thursday, October  1 – 3.00-4.30PM PT

September 30th is Orange Shirt Day and Truth and Reconciliation Day

Content Warning: discussion of residential schools, child abuse

What is Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters?

Phyllis Webstad is a Northern Secwépemc (Shushwap) woman from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation and a residential school survivor. When she was six years old, Phyllis had her new orange shirt stolen on her first day at school. Her orange shirt has become a symbol for belonging and familial love and for how residential schools “tried to strip away identity, culture, and the fundamental truth that Every Child Matters” (Orange Shirt Society, n.d., para. 6).

Banners which read and translate to Every child matters

Orange Shirt Day began as part of the May 2013 St. Joseph Mission Residential School Commemoration Project and Reunion events. St. Joseph Mission was the residential school that Phyllis attended in Williams Lake, BC.

A Brief History of Residential Schools in Canada

Residential schools were part of the colonial project, designed to assimilate Indigenous children by stripping them of their culture, language, and connections to family and community. The first federal residential school, Mohawk Indian Residential School, opened in 1831 in Brantford, Ontario. While many of the schools closed in the 1970’s, the last remaining residential schools were operational until 1997. During this period, the Canadian government opened 140 residential schools across Canada.

The residential school system is a dark chapter in Canadian history. Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools by the government. They were removed from their families and punished severely for practicing their languages and traditions. 150,000 children were sent to these institutions, where they faced deplorable conditions, and endured physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Thousands of children died.

Residential schools created intergenerational trauma that severely disrupted Indigenous communities across Turtle Island (Canada).

This timeline offers more information on the history of residential schools.

 

Calls for Truth and Reconciliation

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) was established as a federal statutory holiday in 2021 in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It did not replace Orange Shirt Day; September 30th is now both Orange Shirt Day and the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

 

Connections to the Land We Learn On

We acknowledge that the land at UBC’s main Vancouver campus is situated within the ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.

Residential schools were nationwide. They affected children who lived on and around this land where we learn, work, and live. Six generations of children from the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səl̓ilw̓ ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nations were sent to St. Paul’s Indian Residential School in North Vancouver, and then forced to move to the Kamloops Indian Residential School when St. Paul’s shut down. Healing and reconciliation is ongoing work.

Orange Shirt Day Events on Sept 30, 2026 at UBC Vancouver

UBC is co-hosting several Events to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day and further the work of truth, healing, and reconciliation:

 

Intergenerational March to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day

Where: 1956 Main mall

When: 11:45 AM – 3:00 PM

 

Free Performance of Where Have All the Buffalo Gone?

Where: Frederic Wood Theatre, 6354 Crescent Rd.

When: 4:00 PM – 4:50 PM

Reserve seats in advance, some seating may be available at the door.

 

Sacred Fire Ceremony

Where: The Centre for Indigenous Land-Based Education, Research and Wellness at Xʷc̓ic̓əsəm – 3461 Ross Drive.

When: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM

 

UBC Library Materials about Orange Shirt Day

Webstad, P., & Orange Shirt Society. (2023). Orange shirt day, September 30th (Second ed.). Medicine Wheel Education. [Find it here at UBC Library]

John-Kehewin, W., Rodriguez Medina, E., & Highwater Press. (2025). Miya wears orange. HighWater Press. [Find it here at UBC Library]

Webstad, P. (2026). w7ec n7élye ey: We are still here : A life of truth and reconciling two worlds. Medicine Wheel Publishing. [Find it here at UBC Library]

McLeod, K., & Webstad, P. (2025). Decolonization and me: Conversations about healing a nation and ourselves. Medicine Wheel Publishing. [Find it here at UBC Library]

 

Sources Consulted

Government of Canada. (2026, September 23). Government of Canada National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html

Hanson, E., Gamez, D., & Manuel, A. (n.d.). The Residential School System. Indigenous Foundations. https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/the_residential_school_system/

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. (2025, April 9). Residential school timeline. NCTR. https://nctr.ca/exhibits/residential-school-timeline/

Orange Shirt Society. (2026, September 21). Orange Shirt Day. Orange Shirt Society. http://orangeshirtday.org/about/orange-shirt-day/

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (n.d.). Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to action. Calls to Action. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf

UBC. (n.d.). Orange Shirt Day at UBC 2026. Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre. https://irshdc.ubc.ca/

Wilson, O. (2021a, June 7). Musqueam remembers 215 children found at Kamloops Indian Residential School. Musqueam: A Living Culture. https://www.musqueam.bc.ca/remembering-215-children-found-at-kamloops-residential-school/

Wilson, O. (2021b, August 10). Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations announce investigation at St. Paul’s Indian Residential School site. Musqueam: A Living Culture. https://www.musqueam.bc.ca/st-pauls-investigation-announcement/

“The Life of a Writer” – A Conversation with UBC Library’s Writer-in-Residence Kevin Spenst

Call for Applications: EDI Scholars-in-Residence 2027

UBC Library Writer-In-Residence Kevin Spenst at Word Vancouver Festival

UBC Library-iSchool Mentorship Program

Alois Sieben

Academic Writing Specialist

Background

Dr. Alois Sieben joined the Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication (CWSC) in April 2026. Previously, he taught English courses with a focus on academic writing at Simon Fraser University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and the University of the Fraser Valley. His research has appeared in Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society, Comparative Literature and Culture, and English Studies in Canada.

BA, English (Honours), University of British Columbia, 2011

MA, English, Simon Fraser University, 2014

PhD, English, Simon Fraser University, 2021

Current role and responsibilities

Dr. Sieben assists in supervising the writing consultation service, and designs and teaches academic writing workshops aimed at improving the scholarly communication of UBC students. He brings extensive experience teaching academic writing to a diverse range of students, as well as expertise in writing and revising peer-reviewed articles and grant applications. In his current role, he focuses on helping students integrate their ideas into ongoing scholarly conversations within their disciplines, clarifying the reasons behind academic writing conventions, and critically engaging with the impact of AI on scholarly writing practices.

Contact

Email: alois.sieben@ubc.ca

A Conversation with Kevin Spenst, UBC Library Writer-in-Residence

Intriguing Connections’ Blind Date with a Book: Music, Author Readings, and Book Exchange

August is Intersectionality Awareness Month

An individual’s experiences are based on not just their individual identities, but the intersection these identities create. Discrimination can be based on one’s race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and more. When these identities often overlap with one another, unique experiences of discrimination or privilege will occur rather than experiences based on each factor in isolation.

The term “intersectionality” was coined in 1989 by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a lawyer, civil rights activist, and critical race theory scholar. While she initially developed the term to explain the relationship of race and gender in the oppression of African-American women, the term has been used more widely to describe the overlap of other marginalized identities as well.

Though the term was coined more recently, one of the most famous speeches in history, “Ain’t I A Woman,” by Sojourner Truth, is one of the key historical illustrations of intersectionality. The speech addresses the inseparable nature of overlapping social identities such as sexism and racism. The speech has been altered over time, but a rendition performed by Kerry Washington of Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A Woman” can be found here.

One clear example that has been used to show the intersectionality of discrimination is the famous 1976 DeGraffenreid v. General Motors court case, where five Black female employees accused General Motors of discrimination. However, because General Motors hired Black men and white women, they were told there was no racial or gendered discrimination as they were not allowed to “combine statutory remedies” despite being impacted by both identities.

The “Wheel of Power/Privilege” as seen in last year’s blog post provides an excellent visual showing how overlapping social identities impact privilege.

Some other examples of how identifying with multiple oppressed groups can have increased impacts include:

  • Disabled people of color face further discrimination due to the combination of the stigmatization of disability and the economic barriers faced by communities of color. This leads to a higher risk of unmet healthcare needs in these communities (HealthCity Editors, 2023).
  • Girls with ADHD are often underdiagnosed due to differing signs and symptoms as well as differently enforced social norms. This can lead to reduced self-esteem and poorer academic achievements due to differing expectations and the lack of a diagnosis to help explain differences (Connolly, 2025).

Opportunities at UBC:

To gain more in-depth knowledge about intersectionality, UBC offers a number of programs.

UBC offers a course on Understanding Intersectionality and Identity that explores the meaning of intersectionality and how systems of oppression affect individuals and communities at these intersections. The course provides tools for respectfully engaging with all members of our communities and examines the changes that must happen to shift our approach to systemic issues.

This course can be applied to UBC’s Certificate in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion as well as the Micro-certificate in Anti-Racism

UBC Library Materials:

To learn more about intersectionality and the experiences of those who have multiple marginalized identities, check out these books available at the UBC Library:

Gutierrez y Muhs, G., Niemann, Y. F., Gonzalez, C. G., & Harris, A. P. (2012). In Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs, Yolanda Flores Niemann, Carmen G. González and Angela P. Harris(Eds.), Presumed incompetent: The intersections of race and class for women in academia (1st ed.). University Press of Colorado. [Available at UBC Library]

Joseph, F. (2022). Patriarchy blues: Reflections on manhood (First ed.). Harper Perennial. [Available at UBC Library]

Lorde, A. (1984). Sister outsider: Essays and speeches. Crossing Press. [Available at UBC Library]

Piepzna-Samarasinha, L. L. (2026). The way disabled people love each other: Poems. Arsenal Pulp Press. [Available at UBC Library]

Whitehead, J. & Abdou, A. (2023). Indigiqueerness: A conversation about storytelling. AU Press. [Available at UBC Library]

Web Sources Consulted

Connolly, M. (2025, August 11). ADHD in girls: The symptoms that are ignored in females. ADDitude. https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-in-girls-women/
HealthCity Editors. (2023, August 24). People of color with disabilities face double discrimination. HealthCity. https://healthcity.bmc.org/people-color-disabilities-face-double-discrimination/
Soken-Huberty, E. (2023, November 3). Intersectionality 101: Definition, facts and examples. Human Rights Careers. https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/intersectionality-101-definition-facts-and-examples/

Taylor, B. (2019, November 24). Intersectionality 101: What is it and why is it important? Womankind Worldwide. https://www.womankind.org.uk/intersectionality-101-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important/

UBC Vice-President Finance & Operations Portfolio (VPFO). (2021, March 8). Intersectionality: What is it and why it matters. Vice-President Finance & Operations Portfolio (VPFO). https://vpfo.ubc.ca/news/intersectionality-what-is-it-and-why-it-matters/

University of British Columbia. (2023, October 26). Intersectionality. Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. https://redi.med.ubc.ca/intersectionality/