Honoring Truth and Reconciliation Day: Why It Matters

September 30th marks Truth and Reconciliation Day, a day in which Canadians reflect on the horrors inflicted upon Indigenous peoples across residential schools. Nationwide, government statements have been made condemning the practice. On this day, Victoria Park acknowledged the day by playing morning announcements that uncovered the testimonies of residential school survivors. On the day of and a few days before, the school announcements also gave facts relating to the significance and statistics of the Canadian residential school system.

Residential schooling began in an effort to assimilate indigenous youth into European-origin Canadian society. Beginning in 1883, the federal government developed a system of residential schools that totaled 80 institutions in its peak. Within them, Indigenous children were isolated, removed from their homes. Their culture was scorned, and they were forbidden to speak or write in their mother tongue. Native children also received inadequate education and suffered malnutrition due to inadequate funding.

After the last residential school closed in 1996, numerous amendments were made to recognize, compensate for, and raise awareness for victims of the residential school system. In May 2013, Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwepemc woman, gave a testimony on how on September 30th, her orange shirt was stripped from her upon entering her school. She never saw the shirt again. From here, the orange shirt came as a representation of the fact that Indigenous children were forced into the cruelty of the schools for generations.

Today, Orange Shirt Day is commemorated by millions of Canadians each year, and the orange shirt has become a symbol of intergenerational trauma faced by Indigenous peoples. The day also plays a key role in modern Indigenous affairs by promoting cultural revitalization from colonization and holding the federal government accountable for acknowledging and reconciling historical injustices.

As the horrors of the residential school system in Canada are remembered, Truth and Reconciliation Day encourages dialogue about the ongoing impact of colonialism on Indigenous communities. It calls to acknowledge the intergenerational trauma inflicted on Indigenous communities and the challenges they face. By fostering national dialogue and education, the day helps to ensure that the legacy of residential schools is neither forgotten nor repeated, pushing society toward meaningful reconciliation and healing.

Sources:

Miller, J.R. "Residential Schools in Canada." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 10 Oct. 2012, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-schools.

Boyko, J. "Orange Shirt Day." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 28 Sept. 2021, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/orange-shirt-day.