National Day for Truth & Reconciliation • September 30, 2022
By: Brianna MacLean

On September 30, 2022, Canada will observe the second official National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.

Originally established in 2013, the day was formally commemorated as a statutory holiday by the Canadian government in 2021 in response to the discovery of thousands of unmarked graves on the former sites of residential schools. Directly correlating with the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, September 30^th is also home to Orange Shirt Day, where Canadians are encouraged to wear orange in both honor and memory of those who were subjected to Canada’s residential school system.

The road to reconciliation isn’t short, nor will it be easy, but we can all help keep the ball rolling by participating in the range of educational events and memorials being organized to mark the holiday and by continuing to acknowledge the horrors inflicted on the Indigenous people of Canada, no matter how uncomfortable the truth might be.

Resources:
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
National Association of Friendship
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Hope for Wellness Hotline
Orange Shirt Society