Ways to Recognize National Day For Truth and Reconciliation / Orange Shirt Day
September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation also known as Orange Shirt Day. It is a day to honour the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.
Take this time to learn, reflect and challenge yourself and your practice to support Truth and Reconciliation, because #EveryChildMatters
What we all can do to recognize Orange Shirt Day:
- Go online or to your local library and learn about the residential school system. Monique Gray Smith has written a heartfelt book that is important reading for anyone interested in deepening their understanding of reconciliation and what it looks like in practice. Speaking our truth: A Journey of Reconciliation is available for borrowing from our Early Childhood Resource Library.
- Read the story behind Orange Shirt Day. Read Phyllis’s Orange Shirt, available in our Early Childhood Resource Library.
- Attend a webinar or workshop to learn more about Indigenous history and truth and reconciliation. There are many great learning opportunities available, including through Indigenous Canada, our website and others
- Enhance your learning of local Indigenous languages. First Voices is an online space for Indigenous communities to share and promote language, oral culture and linguistic history.
- Borrow Indigenous learning resources from our library. We have a beautiful selection of resources, including books, puzzles, puppets, flannel stories and resource kits.
- Read The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.
- Create awareness by wearing something orange.
- Support Indigenous businesses, artists and restaurants.
- Attend an event happening in our community. Please see our post from Thursday, September 21 for ideas.
- Visit Native-Land.ca to learn more about Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages.
