National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day
“I envision a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 100 years from now where Canadians will know the true history of Indigenous people – not only what we endured, but also our cultural values and teachings that gave us our strength for thousands of years.”
-Levinia Brown (Inuk residential school survivor)
What is the significance of September 30 in Canada?
In Canada, September 30 as been set as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This is a statutory holiday created in response to Call to Action #80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Final Report (to date, only 14 of the 94 Calls have been responded to in the seven years since the Calls were released). This day is meant to honour the survivors of residential schools, the children who never returned home, their families and their communities. It is a day for learning for non-Indigenous Canadians and a day for celebrating resilience and overcoming for Indigenous Peoples.
The holiday was placed on September 30th, which is also Orange Shirt Day. Orange Shirt day is a grassroots movement that started in Williams Lake, BC, in 2013, and grew into a nation-wide, Indigenous-led practice of celebration, observed particularly in schools through the wearing of orange shirts, ribbons, and pins. (With September 30 now a day in which schools are not in session, many students have been encouraged to wear orange to class on September 29 instead.)
The Inspirational Story behind Orange Shirt Day
Recommended Reading
Learn more about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day through these resources below.
Orange Shirt Society
The Orange Shirt Society is a non-profit organization with its home in Williams Lake, BC where Orange Shirt Day began in 2013. Visit their website for teaching resources, including sample agendas for community events, Phyllis Webstad’s story, and videos about the residential school system.
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
The website for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is an excellent starting point for learning about this important part of Canada’s story. Included on the website are resources for educators and information about events and learning opportunities happening on or around September 30.
From the Government of Canada
From the federal government, this website provides some of the history of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, current information about events happening in the week leading up to September 30, and links to resources about Indigenous cultures and stories and the ongoing work of reconciliation.