The very first National Day for Truth & Reconciliation took place on 30th of September 2021, marking the first new statutory holiday in Canada in decades. It’s rightfully a big deal, as it honours the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit victims, survivors, and their families who suffered at the hands of the residential schools.

In the spirit of education and reconciliation, we teamed up with the Tsuut’ina Nation and Curiocity to bring you some important facts that you absolutely need to know.

It commemorates the resilience of Indigenous peoples and the impacts of residential schools

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is mostly about two things- honouring the victims of Canada’s residential school system, and educating the public about the systemic issues and generational trauma that Indigenous peoples continue to face to this day.

Orange Shirt Day played a role in the decision

Orange Shirt Day is a day where all Canadians are encouraged to wear orange shirts, to honour survivors and victims of residential schools. The story of the orange shirt comes from Phyllis Webstad, who at six years old, had her brand new orange shirt taken from her on her first day at residential school. The movement has created allies all across Canada, and the act of wearing an orange shirt shows support for Indigenous people on this day.

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(Image Source: Curiocity)

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