Today, September 30, is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, a time to recognize and commemorate the intergenerational harm that residential schools caused to Indigenous families and communities, and to honour those who have been affected by this injustice.

Today is also Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters. Established to honour residential school survivors, their families, and those who never returned home, Orange Shirt Day serves as a reminder of the lasting impacts of the residential school system. It is a nationally recognized movement, with individuals, organizations, and communities across Canada participating in acts of remembrance, reflection, and reconciliation each year. The orange shirt symbolizes the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem that many Indigenous children experienced. This day reminds us that “Every Child Matters”.

At FCJ Refugee Centre, we mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day by reflecting on what it means to each of us, and how we try to incorporate that meaning into our lives and our work, both today and every day.

In the words of the Canadian Council for Refugees, as an organization working for the rights of refugees and migrants, “we recognize that this work is inseparable from the ongoing work of truth, justice, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.”

On this day we encourage you to:

• Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and learn more about Canada’s residential school history
• Wear an orange shirt or accessory to show public solidarity and emphasize that Every Child Matters
• Attend local events such as community gatherings, marches, or educational programming hosted by local Indigenous communities and organisations
• Lift up Indigenous voices by listening to stories, podcasts, music, films, and documentaries by Indigenous creators

We stand in solidarity with and alongside all people across this land in demanding justice, accountability, and equity.

This is a day to honour residential school survivors and their families and to remember those who didn’t make it.

Learn more:

• National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR)
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Government of Canada)
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
• The Missing Children and Unmarked Burials Initiative
• Orange Shirt Society
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Wikipedia)
• Learning resources about First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada