What is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation?

Education

Sep 29

September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. It is a day to honour the Indigenous children that were taken away through the Residential “School” System, and their families and communities. It is a day to raise awareness of the horrific experiences many Indigenous people had in Residential “Schools,” as well as the legacy of this system. It is a moment to recognize not only historic harms but also the intergenerational impacts and ongoing violence Indigenous communities continue to face.

Call to Action #80

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation became a federal holiday in 2021 in order to enact Call to Action #80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The Call to Action states

“We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”

While having a federal holiday on September 30th is an important first step, ensuring all Canadians actually meaningfully engage with Indigenous communities and in solidarity is key and critical to achieving Call to Action #80, and much more is needed all year round in order to work towards reconciliation.

The Orange Shirt

Orange Shirt Day was started in 2013 by residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation. At the age of 6, she was taken away from her family to the St. Joseph’s Mission “School.” For her first day in school her grandmother bought her a beautiful orange shirt. When she got to the residential “school” all her belongings, including her new orange shirt were taken away. She never saw that shirt again.

The Orange Shirt has become a symbol of solidarity with residential school survivors because of how the colour orange reminded Phyllis of the experiences she and other Indigenous children had.

Every Child Matters

Like the Orange Shirt, the phrase Every Child Matters has become central as a message of solidarity with survivors. The Every Child Matters movement was started to raise awareness about the Indigenosu children who had to go through the Residential “School” System and the enduring and intergenerational impacts they faced.

Every Child Matters was created because many Indigenous children in Residential “Schools” were made to feel as though they didn’t matter. The inhumane and downright criminal ways in which Indigenous children were treated is inexcusable and we want to send a message to current and future generations of children that they do matter. Every Child Matters is not only a reminder of the atrocities of the past but also a call to action for all of us to fight for Indigenous rights today and everyday so no Indigenous child feels they don’t matter ever again.

What you should do on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Wear orange to visibly show solidarity with survivors
Donate to the Indian Residential School Survivor Society and other Indigenous organizations
Educate yourself about the Residential Schools System and the ongoing violence and injustice Indigenous communities face
Educate others about these same topics

Organizations to Donate to

Resources to Learn More

Books:

Films:

Documents and Websites:

Shreya Shah

Shreya (she/her) is a Grade 10 Student in Toronto and is passionate about Indigenous Solidarity, racial justice, climate justice and animal rights. She is a writing and projects team member at TIF. She hopes to increase common understanding about key parts of Indigenous history and colonization as well as raise awareness about the ongoing colonization of Indigenous lands through the Indigenous Foundation.