— Justice Murray Sinclair“Reconciliation is about forging and maintaining respectful relationships.
There are no shortcuts.”
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day) is a federal statutory holiday in Canada. September has evolved into a month that marks not only the return to school, but also a month when students of all grades learn about the history and legacy of residential schools.
Why is September 30th called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation?
Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation; this day was designated to be a Canadian federal statutory holiday.
The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as 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.
To learn more about Truth and Reconciliation and the 94 Call to Action identified by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015, check out the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada website. (Please note the website has been archived but can still be viewed.)
What is Orange Shirt Day and why do we wear orange shirts?
Canadians are encouraged to wear orange on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in honour of Phyllis Webstad’s courageous sharing of her residential school survivor story. To learn more about Phyllis and her story, click here.
What resources does The Consortium have to support teachers and students?
The Consortium has Designers of Professional Learning available to assist with professional development on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation who can be requested through The Consortium’s website. As well, for online resources and support, the Empowering The Spirit website houses online video and print resources as well as links to other resources available throughout the Internet.
For support directly related to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt day, navigate to the “Orange Shirt Day and Beyond” tab from the homepage. From this dropdown tab you will find:
- Programing Supports for Schools
In this section, there are Videos of the Orange Shirt Day online series from 2022 that brought Elders and knowledge keepers together in a week long event presenting on Indigenous Dance, Indigenous Sports, Indigenous Music, Indigenous Visual Arts and Indigenous Storytelling. There are also learning guides in French and English to support the video resources. - Professional Learning for Adults
This section offers professional learning for adults aimed at furthering your understanding about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRCC) and Orange Shirt Day. The primary resource is an online playlist of videos on related topics as well as other resources that further develop a deeper understanding of the TRCC and Orange Shirt Day - Teaching Tools
This section offers insightful videos of Elders interacting with students in building a better understanding of Orange Shirt Day. There are also grade specific resources and lesson plans available to teachers that were developed under the guidance of Elders and knowledge keepers.