National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – Pacific Navy News : Pacific Navy News

September 30, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, honours Indigenous people affected by residential schools: survivors, children who never returned home, families and communities.

There were 140 federally operated residential schools in Canada between 1867 and 1996. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission provided an opportunity for those affected by residential schools to tell their stories and then produced a report detailing 94 calls to action. Truth and Reconciliation Day is Call to Action 80: a federal statutory day of commemoration. The Government of Canada works closely with provinces, territories, First Nations, the Métis Nation, Inuit groups and churches to implement the calls to action. This day is an important part of the reconciliation process. To commemorate it, we can recognize the struggles that Indigenous peoples have had and continue to have because of residential schools: by wearing orange shirts, attending events on this day, and learning more about residential schools.

To learn more about residential schools, No Child Left Behind, Truth and Reconciliation Day, and the meaning of the orange shirts, there are many books and films written and produced by Indigenous creators.

Some of the many books written by Indigenous authors on truth and reconciliation and residential schools:

Indian Horse – Richard Wagamese
Five Little Indians – Michelle Good
The Education of Augie Merasty – David Carpenter & Joseph Auguste Merasty

For children:

Shi-shi-etko – Nicola I. Campbell, illustrated by Kim LaFave
Fatty Legs – Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Liz Amini-Holmes

Documentaries and films:

Indian Horse – on Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Crave, Apple TV and Google Play
Bones of Crows – on CBC Gem, Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon Prime and Google Play
Sugarcane – on Disney+