Orange is the colour of grief and solidarity in Canada

The Museum of Civilization in Quebec is gravely concerned by the recent sad news about the discovery of children's graves in residential schools: its staff stand in full solidarity with the indigenous communities and are ready to share their grief.

According to them, the mission of the Museum of Civilization is to present visitors as accurately as possible with the real world of peoples and civilizations that have shaped contemporary Canadian society: "We have been able to build bridges of communication with indigenous communities. We seek to strengthen this relationship with respect, recognition and attention, and we look for ways to allow people to speak out. So it is our duty today to show solidarity, to recognize that we also have things to learn. We must move towards the future together, but we must never forget the past.

More orange!

In the coming months, the museum will be taking some concrete steps to make amends for the tragic finds. The museum staff want to demonstrate the importance of denouncing the injustice of all that has happened and to educate Canadian society about the dramatic history of indigenous communities.

The museum's tower will be lit in orange from 1 July until Orange Shirt Day, which is traditionally celebrated in the country on 30 September to commemorate the genocide of the indigenous people. As a sign of solidarity, all front desk staff will wear an orange button or beaded brooch, and information screens will provide every visitor with information explaining the full tragedy of the orange color symbolism.

"This is our story."

In creating the exhibition "This is Our Story" to showcase indigenous cultures, workers from the Museum of Civilization and La Boîte Rouge vif, met with indigenous and Inuit representatives. The online discussion involved 800 people from 18 communities hundreds of kilometres apart. The main focus of the exhibition is on indigenous issues in Canada, and the content is regularly updated to convey the reality of what is happening as accurately as possible.

All the exhibits will also be highlighted in orange to further emphasize their solidarity with the tragedy of the indigenous peoples and demonstrate to the wider public the importance of understanding what is happening. In addition, exhibits dedicated to the graves that have been found will be added to the exhibition.

A special event will also be organized for Orange Shirt Day.