September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Today, and every day, we invite our members to join us in committing to reflecting on Canada’s colonial legacy and learning from Indigenous artists, activists, and knowledge-keepers.
Reconciliation is an ongoing process, one that requires active engagement, empathy, and collective effort. In observance of this important day, CAPACOA reaffirms its dedication to amplifying Indigenous voices and stories, and to promoting meaningful dialogue that contributes positively to our collective journey as treaty people. As part of this commitment, we will be honouring the children who never returned home from residential schools, as well as wearing orange to raise awareness of the intergenerational trauma that has been inflicted on individuals, families, and communities. We will also be remembering the survivors of industrial and day schools, recognizing that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report marked the beginning—not the end—of the long road toward reconciliation.
We recognize that the day can be retraumatizing for Indigenous friends, family, and coworkers. Support is available. The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line provides 24-hour crisis support to former Indian Residential School students and their families toll-free at 1-866-925-4419. Anyone impacted by the national crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls can call the MMIWG Crisis Line toll-free at 1-844-413-6649. Indigenous people across Canada can also contact The Hope for Wellness Helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for counseling and crisis intervention. Assistance is available through a toll-free helpline at 1-855-242-3310 as well as through the online chat.
Donate
For those who are interested in supporting the work of Indigenous organizations involved in education and programming for Truth and Reconciliation Day, donations can be made to both local and national supporting organizations, including the following:
Additional Resources
Below is a short list of resources to inform your learning today and throughout the year. This list is not exhaustive and we encourage you to use it as a starting point.
- National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
- Resources from the Orange Shirt Society for observing the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
- The University of British Columbia’s Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
- The University of Alberta’s free Indigenous Canada online course
- The AFN’s It’s Our Time Toolkit – Residential Schools Module
- The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- Guidelines for Land Acknowledgements from Native-Land.ca
Calendar of Events Featuring Performances by Indigenous Artists
In observance of this important day, we are launching a new calendar of events featuring performances by Indigenous artists. This project has been developed as part of Artsdata’s work with the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance to improve the visibility and discoverability of Indigenous artists online.
