National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day | September 30
September 30, 2021 Marks Canada’s First National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
The day honours the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
The creation of Canada’s federal statutory holiday was through legislative amendments made by Parliament. On June 3, 2021, Bill C-5, an Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act, and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) received Royal Assent.
Orange Shirt Day
Orange Shirt Day also takes place on September 30
Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day that honours the children who survived Indian Residential Schools and remembers those who did not. This day relates to the experience of Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwépemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation, on her first day of school, where she arrived dressed in a new orange shirt, which was taken from her. It is now a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom, and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.
On September 30, Canadians can wear orange to raise awareness of the very tragic legacy of residential schools, and to honour the thousands of Survivors.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Events:
When – September 27 – October 1
Where – Online
Land Acknowledgements Workshop
When – September 27 at 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Where – Zoom
Elaine Alec Self Determination: A Pathway to Healing
When – September 30 at 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Where – Online
Drum For The Children
Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc wishes to involve the world in recognizing the very first Canadian National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. After a global outpouring of interest and support for the missing children from the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc is offering a way for people to connect, support and ground into the importance of September 30, 2021.
On this very first Canadian National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc is calling upon people around the world to gather safely to drum and sing for the missing children of Indian Residential Schools.
It’s time to honour the children, and the unrelenting spirit of these Ancestors.
It’s time to:
to drum for the healing of the Indian Residential Schools Survivors who carried the burden of knowing of where the children were buried.
to drum for the healing of the families and communities whose children did not come home.
Help us shine a light on truth – the pursuit of justice and peace – and healing for all affected by these beloved missing children.
Indigenous peoples and cultures
Learn about Canada’s three distinct groups of Indigenous peoples - the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, with unique histories, languages, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs that are woven into the fabric of the country. More than 1.4 million people in Canada identify themselves as an Indigenous person.
Indigenous History in Canada
The history of Indigenous peoples in Canada is rich and diverse. This history stretches long into the past before the arrival of the European newcomers with diverse interactions among different peoples, flourishing trade and fierce conflict, and competition for lands and resources. The history of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis is essentially the very history of Canada as they have played, and continue to play important roles in its development and its future.
To learn more, please visit the virtual exhibit at the Canadian Museum of History and the First Nations in Canada historical e-book.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - UNDRIP
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the General Assembly on Thursday, 13 September 2007. Today the Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of indigenous peoples. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples.