September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. On this same date, Trent University—an institution that famously promotes and profits off of their purported Indigenous inclusivity and education—hosted its annual Head of The Trent Homecoming celebration. 

In the crisp early morning of September 20th, 2023, a group of people congregated outside of City Hall. Despite the sunny weather, the atmosphere was bleak. Attendees appeared bedraggled—demoralized not only by the early time of morning, but equally by the matter at hand. One notable absence, meanwhile, came in the form of the Trent Central Student Association.Whereas many students made the decision of their own conviction to attend, and some professors went so far as to cancel classes and encourage students to attend the counter-protest, the body possessing theoretically the largest potential for mass student mobilization stayed silent on the matter