National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day to honour the healing journeys of residential school survivors and their families and a time to engage in meaningful discussions about the history and legacy of the residential school system.
National Truth and Reconciliation Day is a day to honour the healing journeys of residential school survivors and their families and a time to engage in meaningful discussions about the history and legacy of the residential school system.
It was first observed in Canada on September 30, 2021, and coincides with Orange Shirt Day, a grassroots campaign founded by Phyllis Webstad that has been observed since 2013.
Orange Shirt Day grew out of Phyllis' own experiences and the experiences of other residential school survivors who attended St. Joseph’s Mission near Williams Lake. From 1831 and 1996, 130 residential schools operated in Canada, with an estimated 150,000 children attending them. Although the records are incomplete, it is estimated that 6,000 children tragically died at the residential schools.
SkilledTradesBC is committed to taking meaningful action towards truth and reconciliation – on both an organizational-level and encouraging individual staff learning and reflection. Read about SkilledTradesBC’s commitment to reconciliation on our Truth and Reconciliation page.
To learn more about Truth and Reconciliation and Indigenous stories, explore the following resources including videos, websites, and upcoming events from around the province commemorating this important day. Some resources and videos contain sensitive topics; please read and view with care.
Videos
Phyllis Webstad on Orange Shirt Day
Phyllis Webstad speaking on her experiences at a residential school.
Inendi: My Auntie Survived Residential School
CBC short documentary: With a pandemic threatening to take our elders, Sarain Fox gathers stories from her auntie and matriarch, Mary Bell, who holds the family’s history: the legacy, the trauma, the truth.
A collection of shows, movies, and documentaries featuring the stories, history, and originality of Indigenous Peoples on CBC Gem.
The Knowing is a 4-part series that follows journalist Tanya Talaga and her family's eight-decade-long search for family matriarch Annie Carpenter, revealing a story deeply intertwined with Canada’s residential school system.
Against the backdrop of colonization and the climate crisis, Indigenous food sovereignty activist Jacob Beaton sets out to revive the abundance that once defined Turtle Island in this documentary directed by Indigenous filmmaker Ryan Dickie. Available on CBC Gem as part of the Absolutely Canadian series.
TEDx talks on Truth & Reconciliation – YouTube playlist
Introduction to Haíłcístut (Reconciliation)
Events
Calendar of Events by Indigenous Tourism BC
Throughout BC
Chilliwack, BC (traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Pelólhxw and Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribes)
Events hosted at the College of New Caledonia (CNC)
Quesnel (traditional territory of the Lhtako Dene Nation) and Prince George (unceded ancestral lands of the Lheidli T'enneh) campuses
Richmond, BC (traditional, unceded land of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people)
Events hosted at the Vancouver Public Library
Vancouver, BC (unceded land of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations)
Truth and Reconciliation: (Un)learn with Kelowna Museums
Kelowna, BC (traditional, unceded territory of the syilx/Okanagan people)
A Conversation with Marie Wilson – 10 Years After the TRC
Powell River, BC (traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation)
Create & Connect: Truth and Reconciliation Day
North Vancouver, BC (traditional lands of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations)
Additional Resources
National Truth and Reconciliation Day – Government Canada Website
Reconciliation Education – Official Distributor of 4 Seasons of Reconciliation