Canada’s New Holiday: A Step Towards Reconciliation
Government of Canada
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a new holiday in Canada that occurs annually on Sept. 30. Parliament introduced this federal holiday in June 2021 to commemorate the history of residential schools and honour the Indigenous Peoples who were and remained deeply impacted by these schools.
As a result of the heightened national conversation, Non-Indigenous Canadians are becoming more aware of the inequalities Indigenous Peoples face, which leads to the public desire to move towards reconciliation. In turn, this prompts the government to take action. However, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not a disconnected and frivolous action the federal government decided to take, making a national holiday to honour the history of residential schools was recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was created in 2007 with the purpose to educate Canadians about the history of the residential school system and facilitate reconciliation among all Canadians. In 2015, they created a Calls to Action report. Calls to Action are actions that “advance the process of Canadian reconciliation”, according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Calls to Action report states that the purpose of the holiday is “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.”
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation falls on Orange Shirt Day, which is an Indigenous-led day to remember the legacy of residential schools. However, this is not a coincidence. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is intentionally on the same date to “build on the momentum [of Orange Shirt Day]”, explains an article from the Canadian Press published in the Vancouver Sun. Orange Shirt Day occurs during early fall as that is when children were taken from their families to residential schools.
Since the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a federal holiday, all federal workers have a paid day off. If a province or territory chooses to make it a holiday in their region, provincial government workers will also have the day off. Just over half of the provinces and territories have recognized this as a holiday: British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I., and Nova Scotia. Nunavut plans to recognize the day next year.
On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, many events were held to remember the legacy of residential schools. There were countless organized events and ceremonies, as well as many online programs highlighting the stories of residential school survivors.
While many Canadians were reflecting on Canada’s history with Indigenous Peoples, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined his family in Tofino, BC for a vacation. He later admitted that “Travelling on Sept. 30 was a mistake, and I regret it”, and subsequently visited the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc nation on October 18.
Other politicians have had meaningful ideas of what Canadians should do to move towards a better relationship with Indigenous Peoples. Michael Lee, Liberal MLA for the Vancouver-Langara community in which Hamber is located, recommends that Non-Indigenous Canadians read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s reports, donate to Indigenous organizations, and spread awareness about the history between Canada and Indigenous Peoples.
Now that Non-Indigenous Canadians are becoming increasingly educated on the systemic oppression that Indigenous Peoples face, it is the belief of many that it is only right that Canada reconcile its history once and for all.