Canada's first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - September 30, 2021

For those in the UCLA Canadian Studies community not familiar with the important new Canadian national holiday/day of reflection, here is a brief summary providing links to materials from the Canadian government, Indigenous community organizations and media that provide background on this contribution to a significant national process.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation seeks to honour First Nations, Inuit and Métis Survivors of the residential school system in Canada, along with their families and communities. The 2021 Act of Parliament establishing this federal statutory holiday aims “to ensure that public commemoration of their history and the legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process”.

September 30 has been observed since 2013 as Orange Shirt Day “to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind”. The observance has spread from Canada to Indigenous communities across North America.

The creation of the holiday is a response to one of the 94 Calls to Action in the 2015 final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. This in turn arose from the 2006 class-action settlement known as the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

Published: Tuesday, September 28, 2021