National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – September 30
September 29, 2022 at 8:18 PM
September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is a day that gives people the opportunity to recognize and commemorate the intergenerational harm that residential schools have caused to Indigenous families and communities, and to honour those who have been affected by this injustice.
In 2021, the federal government passed legislation to mark September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The implementation of this new federal holiday is an important part of the reconciliation process that has been called for by Indigenous peoples and by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Wear Orange!
Inspired by the story of residential school survivor Phyllis Jack Webstad, people across Canada have commemorated September 30 as Orange Shirt Day for nearly a decade.
As a young girl, Phyllis was given a new orange shirt by her grandmother before being taken to a B.C. residential school. The shirt was confiscated and destroyed by her teacher on the first day of class. The destruction of Phyllis’s shirt has come to symbolize the colonial goal of residential schools to assimilate Indigenous peoples
Orange Shirt Day invites Canadians to wear orange shirts on September 30th each year to honour survivors of residential schools, their families, and their communities.
Calls to Action
On this September 30th, please take the time to reflect on the Calls to Action and the truths contained in the TRC final report. The Calls to Action and the complete TRC report is available online from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
You can also Download our CUPE’s guide to reconciliation and consider how you can support the calls to action.
Reconciliation is an ongoing process rooted in action, both for us as individuals and as members of our communities. It’s time to listen, learn, reflect, support, and use our positions and privileges to act.
