Orange Shirt Day? What to know about the National Day of Trust and Reconciliation in Canada

In Canada, September 30 is the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation to honor and commemorate residential school survivors and Indigenous children who never returned.

The observance was created in 2013, but became a designated holiday in 2021 following the discovery of more than 1,000 unmarked graves near former residential schools in Columbia. British and Saskatchewan.

What happened: Canadians across the country are encouraged to wear orange-colored shirts to show a unified approach to building relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples . The event was inspired by the story of Phyllis Webstad, who is Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band) and residential school survivor.

Why it matters: The residential school system was funded by the Canadian government and run primarily by the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. The system forced Indigenous children into boarding schools where they were stripped of their identities, beaten, and forced to work to raise money for the schools. Sexual abuse was common and conditions in schools were so bad that diseases such as tuberculosis were rampant.

The residential school system has lasting impacts that continue to disrupt Indigenous communities: families were separated, language and traditions were lost, and the mental and physical health of survivors and their families for generations will be severely affected. .

Bringing Awareness: The late Gord Downie, lead singer of The Tragically Hip, spent the last years of his life raising awareness about the impact of residential schools and in 2016 released an album titled "The Secret Path."

The album tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old boy who died of starvation and cold after escaping from Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School and attempting to return home. him on foot. The album was made into a graphic novel by Jeff Lemire and can be viewed here.

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Orange Shirt Day? What to know about the National Day of Trust and Reconciliation in Canada

In Canada, September 30 is the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation to honor and commemorate residential school survivors and Indigenous children who never returned.

The observance was created in 2013, but became a designated holiday in 2021 following the discovery of more than 1,000 unmarked graves near former residential schools in Columbia. British and Saskatchewan.

What happened: Canadians across the country are encouraged to wear orange-colored shirts to show a unified approach to building relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples . The event was inspired by the story of Phyllis Webstad, who is Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band) and residential school survivor.

Why it matters: The residential school system was funded by the Canadian government and run primarily by the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. The system forced Indigenous children into boarding schools where they were stripped of their identities, beaten, and forced to work to raise money for the schools. Sexual abuse was common and conditions in schools were so bad that diseases such as tuberculosis were rampant.

The residential school system has lasting impacts that continue to disrupt Indigenous communities: families were separated, language and traditions were lost, and the mental and physical health of survivors and their families for generations will be severely affected. .

Bringing Awareness: The late Gord Downie, lead singer of The Tragically Hip, spent the last years of his life raising awareness about the impact of residential schools and in 2016 released an album titled "The Secret Path."

The album tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old boy who died of starvation and cold after escaping from Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School and attempting to return home. him on foot. The album was made into a graphic novel by Jeff Lemire and can be viewed here.