09/29/2025
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Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honors the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.
According to survivors, children were forcibly removed from their homes during the years that the system was in place, and often subject to harsh discipline, malnutrition, starvation, poor healthcare, abuse, and the deliberate suppression of their cultures and languages.
Another form of school system was Indian Day schools. They were racially segregated educational institutions. The difference between the two? The students were educated in their own communities and returned home to their families at the end of each day at the day schools. The goal was the same, though, to impose a set of assimilation efforts to destroy their cultures and identities.
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Orange Shirt Day is a commemorative day led by Indigenous communities to raise awareness about the intergenerational impacts of residential schools on children, families, and communities. It honors Indigenous children who were lost in the residential school system. The orange shirt symbolizes the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem that many Indigenous children experienced.
They are more than survivors, though. These ones are fellow Canadians, our neighbors, friends, and families. I have had the opportunity to meet many survivors and their children over the past number of years at this job. What Iβve learned is they are incredibly resilient, strong, have love of community like I've never seen before, and are hardworking. Iβm fortunate to call many my friends.
We can all be ΙͺΙ΄α΄ α΄Κα΄ α΄α΄
. There are several events taking place in surrounding First Nations communities. Doing a quick google search, you will find the times & dates of these events.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdR9HcmiXLA
https://www.facebook.com/canadianmuseumforhumanrights/videos/childhood-denied/505781644174840/
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/residential-schools
