September 30th is the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (“TRCC”) Call to Action 80:
80. We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.
Our firm is closed on September 30th, and we invite all firm members to wear orange on September 30th in recognition of the “Orange Shirt Day” movement closely associated with the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. We wear orange to honour the Indigenous children who were taken from their families and communities and sent to residential schools. We must continue to learn more about the history of the Residential School System and its inter-generational impacts on survivors and their communities.
As stated by the Orange Shirt Society:
The annual Orange Shirt Day on September 30th opens the door to global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools. It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. A discussion all Canadians can tune into and create bridges with each other for reconciliation. A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected. Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.
The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. It is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.