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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Thursday, September 30th, 2021, marked the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The day honours lost Indigenous children and survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities. It is a day for national reflection on the historic legacy and present-day consequences of residential schools, which is critical to reconciliation.  

Reconciliation is the process of healing relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians and addressing wrongs of the past. This requires building meaningful partnerships with Indigenous communities, embedding Indigenous needs and perspectives in decision-making, and recognizing Indigenous sovereignty and the inherent right to self-determination.

Efforts at reconciliation must be guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action. The TRC was conducted between 2008 to 2015 and provided those directly or indirectly affected by the legacy of residential schools with an opportunity to share their stories and experiences.

The Commission’s final report provided 94 calls to action. The Calls to Action provide important direction for all levels of government, institutions, and all residents of so-called Canada to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance reconciliation. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a direct response to Call to Action 80, which called for a federal statutory day of commemoration.

Truth and Reconciliation learning resources [PDF - 317 KB]
Truth and Reconciliation mental health resources for Indigenous students, staff and faculty members [PDF - 307 KB]

Orange Shirt Day

September 30th also coincides with Orange Shirt Day. Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led, grassroots commemorative day honouring residential school survivors and victims. The day honours experience of Phyllis Webstad, from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation, when on her first day of school she arrived dressed in a new orange shirt, which was taken from her. The orange shirt has become a symbol of remembrance of all Indigenous children who were violently removed from their families to attend residential schools, enduring experiences which the TRC has described as “cultural genocide”.

All Dalhousie students, faculty, staff, and community members are encouraged to wear orange on September 30th.

Community Events held in 2024

September 27 

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Proclamation and Flag Raising 

City Hall at 11:00am

Residents are invited to attend a flag raising event at Grand Parade, which will include the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Proclamation reading by Mayor Savage. 

 

September 28 

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Film Screening: Bones of Crows

Woodlawn Public Library between 2:00pm-4:15pm

Told through the eyes of Cree Matriarch Aline Spears as she survives a childhood in Canada's residential school system to continue her family's generational fight in the face of systemic starvation, racism, and sexual abuse. She uses her uncanny ability to understand and translate codes into working for a special division of the Canadian Air Force as a Cree code talker in World War II. The story unfolds over 100 years with a cumulative force that propels us into the future. 

 

September 30  

Lighting of City Hall in Orange 

City Hall in the Evening 

 

September 30  

Raising of the “Every Child Matters” Flag on Truro and Halifax Campus 

Lighting of Henry Hicks & Cumming Hall  

 

September 30 

A Day to Listen  

Major Radio Media Outlets between 6:00am-6:00pm

In recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) is proud to partner once again with major media outlets and radio stations throughout Canada. This year’s theme is All My Relations. Guests will speak about Indigenous identity through conversations about representation in sports and entertainment, Indigenous comedy as culture and healing, merging traditional and contemporary fashion, the challenges of healthcare in the north and beyond, reconciliation as recolonization, and more. 

 

September 30 

Truth and Reconciliation Day at the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre 

Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre (Joan Glode Room) between 11:00am-3:00pm

Every Child Matters: Children, youth and families, join us to gather and commemorate with a book reading, cultural crafts and activities, door prizes and food.

 

September 30 

Truth and Reconciliation Day at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic 

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic between 9:30am-4:30pm

On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic will be open. The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. 

Watch, Read, Listen, Participate

  • #LANDBACK Is the Solution by Shaldon Ferris
  • 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality by Bob Joseph
  • True Reconciliation: How to Be a Force for Change by Jody Wilson-Raybould
  • Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference, and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid
  • Warrior Life: Indigenous Resistance and Resurgence by Pamela Palmater
  • As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
  • My Indigenous Culture Is an Act of Resistance by Siku Allooloo