It’s October 1st. Our Orange shirts are in our laundry hampers, ready to be cleaned and stored away until next year. The news headlines about events commemorating the third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation have stopped. The orange-coloured posts on social media apps have all been seen. What happens beyond Orange Shirt Day?
We have Orange Shirt Day because the Government of Canada has answered call to action #80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action:
We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 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.
September 30th is a federal statutory holiday, which means that not a lot of people actually have the day off. In Ontario, schools are open for business, which means we have the opportunity to mark the day together with lots of opportunities to learn: reading books, watching videos, having important conversations, and completing art projects.
I am heartened by the level of awareness that seems to have grown year over year since the day was made official in 2021. Kids in elementary schools amaze me with their compassion and understanding of the urgency that surrounds the issues related to Truth and Reconciliation. They are truth seekers. I am hopeful that the journey to reconciliation will be swift because of the work we are doing with them now. And I have to believe that this generation will be a force to reckon with should anyone threaten the progress we have made.
So now what?
We dedicate the last week of September to Truth and Reconciliation Week – learning together and raising awareness of the history and current realities impacting the lives of Indigenous people living in Canada. But, just like we all say we don’t need a day every year to profess our adoration to the one we love the most – we do it every day, right? – we need to ensure that our attention to the calls to action becomes part of our everyday lives.
My next steps
As I carry on with my learning journey, I’d like to dig deeper into the calls to action to discover what I could be doing to ensure I am part of the collective in Canada who are trying to make a difference. I have been focusing on the calls to action related to education, but there are dozens more that could use my attention as well.
There are many places online to read the calls to action and to review the reports that update the progress being made to answer them. Lately I have found myself visiting these ones:
Government of Canada: Delivering on Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action
Please join the conversation by commenting below.
What did you do to commemorate Orange Shirt Day this year?
What are your next steps for learning and executing on the calls to action?