Residential school survivor throws first pitch at Jays game for Orange Shirt Day
TORONTO - Dolores (McLeod) Naponse, hopes that her presence at a Toronto Blue Jays game will spark important conversation.
Naponse, from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, near Sudbury Ont., threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Friday night before the Blue Jays hosted the Boston Red Sox. The 72-year-old residential school survivor was part of the pre-game ceremonies as the MLB team commemorated the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
“It's so important for everyone to know what has happened to all of us residential school survivors, not only the survivors, but the parents of young children who didn't survive,” said Naponse, shortly after she first stepped out on to the field at Rogers Centre with her daughter and two grandsons. “I'm glad to be here to be doing this for all of us.”
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours the 4,000-6,000 Indigenous children that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimates died while attending state and church-funded residential schools.
Canada's residential school system removed roughly 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Metis children from their families. The last school closed in 1997. Many children were sexually, physically or psychologically abused in the system designed to get the “Indian” out of the child.
The Blue Jays had several pre-game and in-game acknowledgments and recognitions to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day.
The Canadian anthem was performed in Blackfoot, English and French by Tsuaki Marule, a professor at Red Crow Community College from the Blood Tribe in Southern Alberta. A moment of silence was also observed at Rogers Centre.
The Survivors' Flag was featured prominently throughout the stadium to honour survivors and all lives impacted by the residential school system.
“I think this organization does an unbelievable job of recognizing things that need to be recognized,” said Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider. “We're happy to be a part of it.”
Jeffrey and Keewehtn Cheechoo, Naponse's grandsons, play in Jays Care Indigenous Rookie League programs. Other survivors of the residential school system and their families were in the stands on Friday, along with 250 children from The Jays Care Foundation Indigenous Rookie League programming.
Naponse wore a traditional Ojibway skirt that featured material with the Blue Jays logo on it, with orange ribbons, as well as the outline of an orange Every Child Matters shirt. She said it was very special to share the opening pitch with her family - 14 relatives joined her at the ballpark - even though she was nervous about getting her throw across home plate.
“This is a chance of a lifetime to do something I'd never ever expected to do,” said Naponse, who successfully delivered the pitch to Blue Jays catcher Gabriel Moreno. “I never expected to even be at a Blue Jays game at my age because we're slowing down and it's hard to get around.
“This is a good opportunity.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.