National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day
September 30th has been officially recognized by the Canadian government as National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, a day to honour Indian Residential School Survivors, to remember the children that never made it home, to acknowledge the generations of children that came after, and to those who work tirelessly to carry the truth forward.
On this day, non-Indigenous and Indigenous people gather as a symbol of hope and in the spirit of reconciliation to honour those who attended Indian Residential Schools.
The History of Indian Residential Schools
For a period of more than 150 years (see the Residential School Timeline) , First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation children were taken from their families and communities to attend schools which were often located far from their homes. More than 150,000 children attended Indian Residential Schools. Many never returned.
The first church-run Indian Residential School was opened in 1831. By the 1880s, the federal government had adopted an official policy of funding residential schools across Canada. The explicit intent was to separate these children from their families and cultures. In 1920, the Indian Act made attendance at Indian Residential Schools compulsory for Treaty-status children between the ages of 7 and 15.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) concluded that residential schools were “a systematic, government- sponsored attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages and to assimilate Aboriginal peoples so that they no longer existed as distinct peoples.” The TRC characterized this intent as “cultural genocide.”
The schools were often underfunded and overcrowded. The quality of education was substandard. Children were harshly punished for speaking their own languages. Staff were not held accountable for how they treated the children.
We know that thousands of students suffered physical and sexual abuse at residential schools. All suffered from loneliness and a longing to be home with their families.
The schools hurt the children. The schools also hurt their families and their communities. Children were deprived of healthy examples of love and respect. The distinct cultures, traditions, languages, and knowledge systems of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples were eroded by forced assimilation.
The damages inflicted by Residential Schools continue to this day.
For a great many Survivors, talking about their experiences in residential schools means reliving the traumas they experienced. For years, many told no one about what they had endured.
In 1996, the landmark Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples drew attention to the lasting harm that was done by the residential schools. A growing number of Survivors and their descendants came forward to tell their stories and demand action.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was created through a legal settlement between Residential Schools Survivors, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit representatives and the parties responsible for creation and operation of the schools: the federal government and the church bodies.
The TRC’s mandate was to inform all Canadians about what happened in residential schools. The TRC documented the truth of Survivors, their families, communities and anyone personally affected by the residential school experience. This included First Nations, Inuit and Métis former residential school students, their families, communities, the churches, former school employees, government officials and other Canadians.
The TRC concluded its mandate in 2015 and transferred its records to the safekeeping of National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR).
To read the 94 calls to action, click here: https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf. (National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation).
Orange Shirt Day - Every Child Matters
Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) Residential School (1891-1981) Commemoration Project and Reunion events that took place in Williams Lake, BC, Canada, in May 2013. This project was the vision of Esketemc (Alkali Lake) Chief Fred Robbins, who is a former student himself.
It brought together former students and their families from the Secwepemc, Tsilhqot’in, Southern Dakelh, and St’at’imc Nations along with the Cariboo Regional District, the Mayors and municipalities, School Districts, and civic organizations in the Cariboo Region.
The events were designed to commemorate the Indian residential school experience, to witness and honour the healing journey of the survivors and their families, and to commit to the ongoing process of truth & reconciliation. Chief Justice Murray Sinclair challenged all of the participants to keep the reconciliation process alive as a result of the realization that every former student had similar truths.
Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters is a legacy of this project. As spokesperson for the Reunion group leading up to the events, former student Phyllis (Jack) Webstad told her story of her first day at residential school when her shiny new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken from her as a six-year old girl.
Her bright orange shirt symbolized love, excitement, and belonging. When it was taken away, it represented how the system tried to strip away identity, culture, and the fundamental truth that Every Child Matters.
Phyllis’s story spread like wildfire, leading to the creation of Orange Shirt Day. What began with one orange shirt has now become a national movement. (Orange Shirt Society)
What can I do?
As a Canadian, you can participate in Truth and Reconciliation Week in your city and community by engaging, participating and attending local events and gatherings. You may also wish to purchase an authentic, Indigenous designed orange t-shirt to wear on September 30th to honour all residential school survivors and their families. You can also write to your local elected officials to encourage ongoing accountability and the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action.
Lastly, here are 10 things you can do to honour, reflect and support National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
Personal Pledge: National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
In the spirit of reconciliation with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada,
I, _____________________________ solemnly pledge to try and:
Learn more about the foundations, history, culture, and traditions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit. Familiarize myself with the correct and proper ways to address Indigenous peoples.
Learn more about and recognize the inequities & injustices connected to historic and institutional colonization imposed upon First Nations, Métis and Inuit by the Canadian government, by churches, and schools.
Make an effort to read & familiarize myself with the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report (TRC)— especially the Summary and Canada’s 94 CALLS to ACTION.
Make a public notice of acknowledgement and recognition — either verbally, or in writing — of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis on whose traditional territories we live, work, and play. This acknowledgement may be made online, on my website, my blog, on a reddit or facebook page I moderate, at my business, my school, my church, at a meeting or conference, or ceremony.
Call out racism and challenge myths, stereotypes, and misconceptions about First Nations, Métis and Inuit in my conversations or interactions with others, whether at work, at home, at school, in public, or online.
Reach out and try to build respectful relationships with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in my community where I live, learn, and work. To try and outreach to a local Native Friendship Centre. To try and invite an Indigenous speaker to a meeting, event, or ceremony, to talk about truth and reconciliation.
Support Indigenous-owned & Indigenous-led businesses, music, & art.
Actively encourage ongoing support of National Indigenous Peoples Day every June 21ST for myself, my family, and my community.
To recognize Sept 30 as National Truth and Reconciliation Day, and encourage others around me to participate in the surrounding events during Truth and Reconciliation Week. To realize truth and reconciliation is ongoing and evolving effort.
Read & familiarize myself with the final report on National Inquiry on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (#MMIWG) and the 231 CALLS to JUSTICE. (Indigenous Corporate Training)
