Insights from Organizing an Indigenous-Led Event: UBC’s Intergenerational March to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day

The image shows a large outdoor gathering of people, most of whom are wearing orange shirts. In the foreground, an Indigenous person is seen wearing traditional attire and holding up a drum. This person appears to be engaged in a cultural performance or ceremony, with one arm raised and the other holding the drum in a gesture of significance. The crowd behind the person is seated in a large amphitheater-style setting, with greenery and trees in the background, and all attendees are focused on the individual in the front. The atmosphere is lively and communal, with the crowd participating in what looks like a significant event.

The annual Intergenerational March to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day at UBC is a profound and powerful event, bringing thousands of people together from across the Lower Mainland to honor and listen to the voices of Indian Residential School survivors. It’s more than just one of the largest gatherings on UBC’s calendar—it represents a critical opportunity for reflection, education, and, most importantly, for amplifying Indigenous voices. 

In this Community Engagement Network session, we take you behind the scenes of this year’s Intergenerational March to explore the careful thought process behind its programming. We’ll also dive into the challenges and successes of organizing an event of this magnitude, rooted in principles of reciprocity, respect, and Indigenous leadership. 

Join us as we hear from the event’s co-founders, Dana-Lyn Mackenzie, Senior Manager of EDI and Indigeneity for UBC’s Faculties of Applied Science, Forestry, and Land and Food Systems, and Danilo Caron, PhD student in Civil Engineering and Indigenous Student Engagement Coordinator at UBC Engineering. We’re also joined by two of the event’s student organizers, Jenneil Lai, studying Psychology & Interpersonal Development, and Emma He, studying Sociology and Political Science, both Co-op students working with Dana-Lyn. 

This conversation will offer valuable insights for anyone working in community engagement, event planning, or within higher education—and will be of particular value to those interested in organizing Indigenous-led events on this scale. 

Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 
Time: 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM Pacific Time 
Location: Online via Zoom 
Cost: Free

REGISTER

Learning Objectives

At the end of this session, participants will have gained insights into: 

  1. The principles of reciprocity and respect in planning Indigenous-led events, with a focus on UBC’s Intergenerational March. 
  2. Best practices for creating trauma-informed spaces during events that involve sharing difficult histories. 
  3. Approaches for fostering respectful relationships with Indigenous Elders, speakers, and performers when organizing community events. 
  4. The logistics and collaboration required for large-scale events, including timelines, volunteer coordination, and multi-stakeholder engagement. 
  5. Strategies for engaging university leadership and external stakeholders in initiatives focused on truth, reconciliation, and community connection. 

Panelists

Dana-Lyn Mackenzie, Senior Manager of EDI and Indigeneity, Faculties of Applied Science, Forestry, and Land and Food Systems, UBC. 

Dana-Lyn Mackenzie, a member of the Hwlitsum First Nation and lawyer, is an elected councilor of her Coast Salish nation. She co-created UBC’s Weaving Relations course and IDEAL program, and has led the Orange Shirt Day March since 2021. Dana-Lyn has worked in Indigenous programming and student affairs since 2012 and was recognized in 2016 and 2024 with UBC President’s Staff Awards. She is also the BC Green Party MLA candidate for Vancouver Yaletown. A proud mother of two young adults, Dana-Lyn dedicates her spare time to her family. 

Danilo Caron, PhD Student in Civil Engineering, Indigenous Student Engagement Coordinator, UBC Engineering. 

Danilo Caron is of mixed Italian and Ojibwe ancestry, with family ties to Castel Franco, Italy, and the Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation in Ontario. He is one of the main organizers of UBC’s Intergenerational March to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day and serves as the Indigenous Student Engagement Coordinator for UBC Engineering while pursuing his PhD in civil engineering at UBC. Danilo holds an Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology (IBET) Momentum Fellowship for his postgraduate research on incorporating Indigenous worldviews into engineering design and project delivery.

Emma He, Co-op Student, studying Sociology and Political Science. 

Bio to be provided

Jenneil Lai, Co-op Student, studying Psychology & Interpersonal Development. 

Bio to be provided

About the Event Organizers

The Community Engagement Network (CEN) is designed for staff and librarians at UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan who do community engagement work. Our purpose is to: (1) create and sustain a sense of community among staff at UBC who lead and support community-university engagement and (2) increase our collective capacity and provide tools for reciprocal, community-led engagement. 

Register for Insights from Organizing an Indigenous-Led Event: UBC’s Intergenerational March to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day