National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a federal holiday in Canada, and it is observed on September 30 each year. The holiday is to honor the children who died in the residential schools, and the survivors and families affected by the residential school system.

The residential schools were funded by the government and administered by churches. It is a school system trying to isolate Indigenous children from the Indigenous culture and to assimilate to the Canadian culture. The system officially started in the 1880s and ended in 1997. Over the 100 years, the government forcibly separated children from their families and put them in residential schools.

At its peak, about 80 residential schools were operating across the country, and over 150,000 children from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit attended the residential schools. Many children at the residential schools were physically, psychologically, sexually, and emotionally abused and over 4,100 children died due to disease or malnourishment.

September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, which is a grassroots movement to reflect the government's treatment of the Indigenous people. People are encouraged to wear orange shirts on this day. The movement started in 2013 when Phyllis Webstad shared publicly her experience in the residential school. On her first day in school, the school teachers took away her clothes including her favorite orange shirt, and never returned them.

The following is the list of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation from 2022 to 2026.

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