Orange Shirt Day founder Webstad among BU honorees at convocation

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This article was published 28/05/2024 (467 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon University is preparing to honour the founder of Orange Shirt Day alongside some distinguished members of its faculty and 460 graduates at its convocation ceremonies this week.

On Monday, BU announced that Phyllis Webstad of Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation will receive an honorary doctor of education degree during the faculty of science and school of music ceremony on Thursday morning at the Healthy Living Centre.

As a child, Webstad was required to attend the St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School near Williams Lake, B.C.

On her first day of school, she wore an orange shirt given to her by her grandmother that was taken and never returned.

After that experience and others at the residential school that made her feel powerless, Webstad’s healing journey as an adult led her to found the Orange Shirt Society. Orange Shirt Day on Sept. 30 eventually became the basis for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

“Phyllis has a heartbreaking story that helps us understand on a personal level how the Canadian Residential School System had such a devastating effect on so many children’s lives, leading to generations of trauma,” BU president David Docherty said in a release.

“But Phyllis’s remarkable story doesn’t end with the cruelty she was forced to endure as a child. She has become a leader and an inspiration to all of us with her resilience and her commitment to healing, for both herself and others. She is one of the key people in a major societal shift to recognize the importance of truth and reconciliation in Canada, and we are honoured that she will be joining us for the first of our convocation ceremonies this week.”

On top of Webstad’s honour, the university will also be giving awards to both retired and current faculty.

Nancy Stanley, who spent 54 years at the university as a physical education professor, athletic director and creator of the Mini University program, is receiving the university’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Her award will be given on Thursday afternoon.

The Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching will be bestowed on Kathryn Chachula, an associate professor in the faculty of health studies, on Friday morning. Since 2014, she has taught 10 different courses in the nursing department and has served as a thesis advisor in the master of psychiatric nursing program.

Associate philosophy professor Steven Robinson will be given the BU Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Teaching. Robinson has taught at the university since 1996 and has previously served as interim president as well as acting and associate dean of arts. His award will be given out on Friday afternoon.

Sociology professor Christopher Schneider will receive the Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Community Service. Schneider has worked on seven books and more than 100 scholarly publications. Since 2009, he has served on the John Howard Society’s board of directors.

His award will be handed out on Friday, though Schneider will not be in attendance.

Beyond the faculty awards, the university is giving out three Distinguished Teacher Awards to K-12 educators in the province on Thursday.

Those are being handed out to Venita Shwaluk of Shoal Lake School, Christine Tournier-Croft of West Valley School and Jacqueline Tabios of Meadows West School.

Convocation for the faculty of science and school of music starts at 10 a.m. Thursday with the faculty of education ceremony at 2 p.m. the same day.

On Friday, the faculty of health studies ceremony is at 10 a.m. and the faculty of arts at 2 p.m.

» The Brandon Sun