United American Indians of New England (UAINE), the North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB) and their allies took over the entrance of Boston’s Basilica Church Sept. 30 to commemorate the “National Day For Truth and Reconciliation” in so-called Canada.  Commonly known as Orange Shirt

Stressing the importance of Orange Shirt Day, Mahtowin Munro, co-leader of UAINE, said: “We are here to support our Indigenous family across Turtle Island who have suffered trauma as a result of residential schools that tens of thousands of Indigenous children were forced to attend. In truth, we should not call these institutions ‘schools.’ Schools should not have graveyards and be places of horror for generations of children.”

The Catholic Church ran many of these institutions where staff beat, abused and murdered Indigenous children. Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee has estimated that at least 4,000 Indigenous children died at residential schools, but the real figure is likely much higher.

Related: Orange Shirt Day protests