Canada’s Third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Photo Credit: John Woods/The Canadian Press via The Globe and Mail

On Sept. 30, 2023, Canada observed its third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The holiday, also known as Orange Shirt Day, honours both survivors of residential schools and those who were unable to come home.

The Indigenous Tourism BC website describes the holiday as “a day to call upon all of those who can effect change to take action to advance reconciliation in Canada.” 

Various events took place on Sept. 30 all over the country, including in the Greater Vancouver area. The Semiahmoo First Nation hosted their third annual Walk for Truth and Reconciliation in White Rock. Meanwhile, a traditional pipe ceremony was hosted in New Westminster. 

In Vancouver, a march was held from Strathcona Community to Grandview Park, followed by a drum circle, craft circles, and dance performances. Jerilynn Snuxyaltwa Webster, a Nuxalk and Onondaga spoken word artist also known as “JB the First Lady”, emceed the events. She proclaimed to the crowds that “we’re here, coming together to heal, to uplift each other and share that medicine through songs, dances and ceremony.” She also emphasized the importance of “reclaiming who we are and what colonization and residential schools took from our elders.” The Nisga’a Ts’amiks Vancouver Society also held a ceremony at Trout Lake featuring stories, drumming, and songs.

In Ottawa, a national ceremony took place on Parliament Hill. Algonquin Anishinaabe Elder Claudette Commanda said “without love, there’s no healing,” asking those across the country to “show that love to the survivors.” Most of these events allowed anyone to participate.

The symbol of the orange shirt was initially adopted in May 2013 in Williams Lake, British Columbia, at an event organized by the St. Joseph Mission Commemoration Project and Reunion. The event, brought forward by residential school survivor and Esk’etemc Chief Fred Robbins, collectively honoured survivors, as well as aimed to help healing and meaningfully contribute to reconciliation. 

At the Williams Lake event, former student Phyllis Webstad shared the story of her first day at residential school. She spoke about her excitement for her first day of school and how her grandma had bought her a new orange shirt. “It had string laced up in front, and was so bright and exciting — just how I felt to be going to school!”

When six-year-old Webstad arrived at school, the shirt was forcefully taken from her and she was not allowed to wear it again. “When I got to the Mission, they stripped me, and took away my clothes, including the orange shirt!” recounted Webstad. “The color orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying and no one cared.”

Webstad’s story became a global symbol for truth and reconciliation. Now, Sept. 30 is “a day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter”, according to the Orange Shirt Society website. The national recognition of the Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an important step in accomplishing the 94 Calls to Truth and Reconciliation.

“It's a tough day, because if you know an Indigenous person, their parent or their grandparent went to residential school,” Webster told the CBC. “So it's important that we create a safe space.”