Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

This "Lost Canadian" is so happy to know my new country is one which truly values truth and making things right. Canada has a history which is not a great one, as does the USA, when it comes to First Nations peoples. But, unlike the USA, Canada faced the truth, stood up, and took steps to do the right thing. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is held annually in Canada on September 30th to honor Survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities, and to remember the children who never returned home.

• Coinciding with Orange Shirt Day, it serves as a vital day for public commemoration, reflection, and education on the traumatic history and legacy of the residential school system.
• To raise awareness of the intergenerational impacts of residential schools and to commit to the reconciliation process.
• Canadians are encouraged to wear orange to symbolize the "Every Child Matters" movement, honoring Phyllis Webstad’s story of having her orange shirt taken on her first day at a residential school.
• The orange shirt symbolizes the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem that many Indigenous children experienced. 
• It is a paid holiday for federal employees and workers in federally regulated workplaces.
• Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission ran from 2008 to 2015 and provided those directly or indirectly affected by the legacy of the residential schools policy with an opportunity to share their stories and experiences. The Commission released its final report detailing 94 calls to action. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a direct response to Call to Action 80, which called for a federal statutory day of commemoration.

You will learn more about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as well as ways you can get involved at this link.