National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
Through active listening, prayer and right action, together with Ontario’s 29 Catholic District School Boards the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association remains committed to advancing Truth and Reconciliation with our Indigenous brothers and sisters.
Backgound
The creation of this federal statutory holiday was through legislative amendments made by Parliament. On June 3, 2021, Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) received Royal Assent. The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools. Since 2013 this date has been known as Orange Shirt Day – an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day that honours the children who survived Indian Residential Schools and remembers those who did not.
This day relates to the experience of Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation, on her first day of school, where she arrived dressed in a new orange shirt, which was taken from her. It is now a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.
OCSTA Indigenous Education Resources – Catholic Virtual Ontario:
Indigenous Knowledges: Joy, Beauty, and Brilliance
Please click on the box below for additional background and resource information:
Action
On September 30, all Canadians are encouraged to wear orange to raise awareness of the very tragic legacy of residential schools, and to honour the thousands of Survivors.
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