National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30th has been deemed the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to commemorate the history and intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools. The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. It is also Orange Shirt Day. Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”.  The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is meant as a day of reflection and to honour this we have compiled a list of resources to help you better educate yourself on what Truth and Reconciliation means and to highlight Indigenous voices.

READ:

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf

https://nctr.ca/education/teaching-resources/residential-school-history/

https://nctr.ca/exhibits/residential-school-timeline/

PODCAST:

https://audioboom.com/posts/8160766-special-edition-apple-box-talks-bruce-allan-residential-school-survivor

MUSIC:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2bfE3ROrGyJ5df8DS4jXP4?si=6iAyeh41SIG2ZNf9BYJuKQ&utm_source=copy-link&dl_branch=1&nd=1

WATCH:

The National Film Board of Canada has a collection of films featuring Indigenous voices and exploring themes of reconciliation, all free to stream online

https://www.nfb.ca/channels/edu_home_indigenous_voices_reconciliation_en/

CBC Gem features this one-hour special in partnership with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to mark the first Nation Day for Truth and Reconciliation, featuring content from different Indigenous communities across the country, a mix of ceremony, dance, song, and Survivor stories.

https://gem.cbc.ca/media/national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation/s01e01

Gord Downie’s The Secret Path

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGd764YU9yc&t=794s

Phyllis Webstad Orange Shirt Day Presentation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3vUqr01kAk

If you are interested in reading more you can check out last year’s post where we celebrated Indigenous authors in our collection here.