National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, Sept. 30 at the Gabriola Museum

Gloria Filax, Chair,

GHMS Truth & Reconciliation Committee

Orange Shirt Day, also known as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, has been designated a federal statutory holiday as of this September 30. This day is to mark the federal government commitment to “reconciliation and ensuring that the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools is never forgotten” (see federal website).

For Indigenous people across the northern part of Turtle Island, September 30 is Orange Shirt Day/Every Child Matters, a day of remembering and honouring residential school survivors.

The idea for Orange Shirt Day was created by Phyllis Webstad, Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap), in 2013 to bring awareness and education about the negative impacts of residential schools on Indigenous people. (https://www.orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story.html).

For all of us, settler or Indigenous, this day provides an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools.

This may present itself as a day of quiet reflection or participation in a community event.

The Gabriola Museum is open on September 30^th. We will host a resource table and a member of the Truth & Reconciliation Committee to answer questions.

Our Pathway for Remembering and Honouring is open for those to walk in contemplation and reflection on our national history of colonization and assimilation which produced the residential school system.

We have orange t-shirts available for sale and all profit goes to the non-profit Indigenous Residential School Survivor’s Society to support survivors (https://www.irsss.ca).

First published September 15, 2021