09/29/2023
Every year on September 30, Canada observes the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
The day commemorates the children who never returned home, as well as survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities. The public's remembering of the tragic and terrible past of residential schools, as well as its ongoing consequences, is an essential component of the healing process.
On September 30, both the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day are observed.
Indigenous peoples organized Orange Shirt Day as a grassroots memorial day to spread the message that "Every Child Matters" and to raise awareness of the intergenerational effects of residential schools on individuals, families, and communities. The orange shirt represents the erosion of Indigenous children's culture, freedom, and self-esteem through generations.
On September 30, we invite all Canadians to wear orange in honor of the thousands of residential school survivors.
