September 30, 2021 marked the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families, and the resiliency of their communities. Please take time on this day to acknowledge and better understand the history and harms done, explore the vast learning resources available, support important related causes and organizations, and participate in programs created and led by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit organizers/organizations.
Below are ways to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this year:
Learn:
Read the 150 Acts of Reconciliation by Crystal Fraser and Sara Komarnisky, Activehistory.ca
A compilation of 150 everyday acts, as well as others that are more proactive, that average Canadians can undertake to reflect on Indigenous-settler relationships in new ways.
Listen to Telling Our Twisted Stories, CBC podcast with host Kaniehti:io Horn
Truth and Reconciliation Reading List, by ConnectR (Resource)
Indigenous Cultural Programming Resource, BC Culture Days (Resource)
Take the FREE University of Alberta Indigenous Canada course.
Read Whose Land is it Anyway? A Manual for Decolonization
A free ebook provides a variety of Indigenous perspectives on the history of colonialism, current Indigenous activism and resistance, and outlines the path toward reconciliation.
Participate:
Wear orange on Orange Shirt Day Friday, September 30 (All day) – A day to honour and remember residential school survivors and their families, as well as children that did not survive the residential school system.
Get your orange shirt from Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA). The design was donated by artist KC Hall.
Support:
Holy Crow Arts – Holy Crow Arts supports the development of educational workshops and community-engaged projects offered and developed by Justin Neal, or other like-minded performance partners in and around the unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)
Ociciwan – Based in the region of Edmonton, Alberta, Ociciwan supports the work of Indigenous contemporary artists and designers and engages in contemporary critical dialogue.
Indigeous Brilliance issue by Room magazine – Published by Room magazine, this powerful issue features poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction edited by Karmella Cen Benedito De Barros, Emily Dundas Oke, Jessica Johns, Patrica Massy and Jaye Simpson.
Massy Arts – Massy Arts Society is a community hub dedicated to supporting the practices of Indigenous and underrepresented artists. programming is extensive in its multiple forms. Massy Arts is located in Chinatown Vancouver.
ImagineNATIVE – Imaginative is the world’s largest presenter of Indigenous screen content and a registered charity committed to creating a greater understanding of Indigenous peoples and cultures through the presentation of contemporary Indigenous-made media art including film, video, audio, and digital media.
12 Indigenous-themed films to stream – CBC Gem
Orange Shirt Society – Orange Shirt Society is a B.C.-based group that aims to educate people on intergenerational impacts of residential schools. It offers resources for teachers for Orange Shirt Day, held every year on Sept. 30.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami – Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is an Ottawa-based organization working to improve the health and wellbeing of Inuit in Canada through research, advocacy, public outreach and education.
Legacy of Hope Foundation – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for more than 19 years.