09/30/2025
September 30th, National Truth and Reconciliation Day, is a time to honour the children who never returned home, the Survivors of residential schools, their families, and their communities. It is also a day to acknowledge the ongoing impact of colonialism, listen to Indigenous voices, and commit to building relationships grounded in truth, respect, and justice.
For over 150 years since the first residential school opening in 1831, Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and placed into residential schools. They were forbidden to speak their languages, practice their cultures, or see their loved ones. Most children experienced neglect, abuse, and trauma. The legacy of these schools continues to affect Indigenous communities today through intergenerational trauma, loss of language, and systemic inequities.
It is essential to remember that residential schools were only one part of the Canadian government’s wider attempts to assimilate and erase Indigenous Peoples. Other colonial policies included the pass system, which restricted Indigenous movement off reserve; the Sixties Scoop, where thousands of Indigenous children were taken from their families and placed in non-Indigenous homes; and the forced sterilization of Indigenous women and girls. The ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S) is another painful reminder that colonial violence continues today.
National Truth and Reconciliation Day calls on all of us to acknowledge these truths, support healing, and commit to meaningful action that respects Indigenous sovereignty and resilience.
