The ATM would like to remind everyone that the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | Orange Shirt Day is on Friday September 30th. There are many events, resources, and information available leading up to, on, and after September 30th to engage in.
About Orange Shirt Day | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
“Every Child Matters”
Between the late 1800s and 1996, more than 150,000 First Nations, Metis, and Inuit children attended Indian residential schools. Orange Shirt Day | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation commemorates this legacy.
The Orange Shirt Day movement was started by Phyllis Webstad, a member of the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation and former residential school student, to honour Survivors and intergenerational Survivors, and to remember those children who never made it home. Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultural identities to engage with the legacies of the residential school system.
On July 20, 2021, the Government of Canada declared September 30 the “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation”. This federal statutory holiday is intended as a day for public servants and all Canadians to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools. The declaration of this National day responds to Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action No. 80, which calls for the creation of a statutory holiday “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.”
Click Here for events, information, and resources from UBC.
Click Here for background information about the 2022 Orange Shirt, which is available at the UBC Bookstore.
In advance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Faculty of Medicine held a virtual event to join together with a concerted effort to reflect on the purpose of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day.
Click Here for information about this event including resources such as the Faculty’s formal Response to the TRC Calls to Action released June 2021 and the 2021 webcast of the Faculty’s Response to the TRC Calls to Action Launch
These events focus on distressing content, and may prompt emotional reactions and difficult thoughts and feelings. This is perfectly normal when working through trauma. If you find yourself overwhelmed, support is just a call or text away through one of these programs.