National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30, 2023

"Baby Mocs gives voice to the Indigenous children who never came home from Residential Schools"

- Mohawk artist Lee Claremont

Each year on September 30th, we commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day for all to take time to remember the impact of Residential Schools in Canada.

For those who may not know (or those from outside of Canada), creating a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was one of the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Report, a document that holds the accounts of more than 6000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis Survivors of Residential schools, their families, communities, and anyone else personally affected by the schools. This day honours the survivors and the children who never returned home from the schools, and reminds the public of this tragic and painful history.

We know you are all great appreciators of Indigenous art. This appreciation is a great step towards us understanding Indigenous peoples truths and working towards reconciliation. There are many other things we can do in solidarity with Indigenous peoples across Canada:

Wear Orange on September 30

Orange Shirt Day, an Indigenous-led initiative to bring greater awareness of the impact of indigenous children in Residential Schools and to raise awareness of the concept of "every child matters".

MEET THE ARTIST OF THIS YEAR'S ORANGE SHIRT

Simone Diamond - Coast Salish

"Protected by Our Ancestors" honours matriarchs who provide children the love, support, guidance, and resilience to face the multi-generational impact of Residential Schools.

This year, Gallery Indigena has sold over 400 Orange Shirts featuring Simone's design. Simone received royalties for her design. A portion of the proceeds from the T-shirt sales have been directed towards Native Northwest's Reconciliation fund, which has to date, raised over $100,000 for efforts supporting Indigenous wellness, education, and cultural initiatives across Canada.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this effort, and we look forward to seeing many Orange Shirts and bracelets on Saturday.

Learn about the Indigenous land we live on:

https://native-land.ca/ is a great interactive resource for finding the Nation, language, and treaties that govern the land we live on.

Read the 94 Calls to Action:

The National Truth and Reconciliation Commission (NTRC) was an element of the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history between the Canadian government and the Assembly of First Nations and Inuit Representatives.

The NTRC Report took testimony from more than 6000 First Nation, Inuit, and Metis from over 300 communities across Canada. The Report resulted in 94 Calls to Action of which 13 have been completed.