Neeta Lind / CC
A day to listen, a day to do something.
2022 marks the second year that Canada, as a country, takes time to recognize Sept 30th as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The federal government dubs today as a “day that 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. This federal statutory holiday was created through legislative amendments made by Parliament.”
Orange Shirt Day originally started in 2013 as a symbol to mark the story of Phyllis Jack Webstad. As a young girl who was brought to a residential school, she had a her belongings taken from her, including a new orange shirt. The orange shirt is now a symbol of the forced assimilation and indoctrination of Indigenous children that the residential school system enforced and federal government funded up until 1997.
The last school that was still operating closed in 1997 and was located in Rankin Inlet, NU.
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was established from 2008 – 2015, when in June of 2015 provided Ottawa the 94 Calls To Action.
Thunder Bay has a variety of events, including a flag raising at Hillcrest Park at 9:30am, various walks to honour residential school survivors, their families and communities and other events planned throughout the day.
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