{"id":175522095,"date":"2025-09-26T17:17:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T17:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/350.org\/canada\/?p=175522095"},"modified":"2025-09-26T17:28:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T17:28:22","slug":"trc-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/350.org\/canada\/trc-2025\/he","title":{"rendered":"National Truth and Reconciliation Day is on September 30th"},"content":{"rendered":"

Next Tuesday, September 30th, is National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a day to reflect on the devastating legacy of residential schools.<\/p>\n

We take time to commemorate the children who never returned home, we honour the families they left behind, we demonstrate solidarity with those who survived the residential school system, and we reckon with the colonial violences that continue to tear Indigenous communities apart.<\/p>\n

But reflection alone is not enough.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are some ways that we encourage you to consider showing your support and solidarity on Tuesday:<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> Wear an Orange Shirt or Support the Orange Shirt Society <\/strong>– Orange Shirt Day began as a grassroots initiative to commemorate the residential school experience, witness and honour the healing journey of the survivors and their families, and commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. It honours the story of Phyllis Webstad who, at the age of 6, wore a new orange shirt from her grandmother on her first day of residential school. Upon arrival, she was stripped of all her clothes and belongings including the orange shirt. This experience touches the surface of the deep scale of harm and abuse that Indigenous children faced in the residential school system. For Phylis, the colour orange became a symbol of resistance against the Indian Residential Schools and for the rallying cry, \u2018Every Child Matters.\u2019 Today, Phyllis is the founder and ambassador for Orange Shirt Society and works to support Residential School Survivors in healing and sharing their truth. You can learn more about how to support the Orange Shirt Society here.<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Listen to and Support Residential School Survivors <\/strong>– Truth and Reconciliation cannot happen until the truth is heard. Often, the truth is hard to hear for non-Indigenous people, but it is critical to grapple with Canada\u2019s colonial history and present in order to work towards justice. Beyond just listening, we must actively support residential school survivors. Consider some of the following actions:<\/p>\n