In Canada, September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honor and commemorate the survivors of boarding schools and the Indigenous children who never came home.
The observance was first introduced in 2013 but became a designated public holiday in 2021 after over 1,000 unmarked graves were discovered near former boarding schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
What happened: Canadians across the country are encouraged to wear it orange shirts to show a unified step towards building relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples. The event was inspired by the history of Phyllis Webstad, He is a Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) of the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band) and a boarding school survivor.
Why it matters: The residential school system was funded by the Canadian government and operated primarily by the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches. The system forced tribal children into boarding schools, where they were stripped of their identities, beaten and forced to work to raise money for the schools. Sexual abuse was rampant and school conditions were so poor that diseases such as tuberculosis were rampant.
The residential school system has lasting effects that continue to disrupt indigenous communities – families have been separated, language and traditions have been lost, and the mental and physical health of survivors and their families will be severely impacted for generations to come.
create awareness: The late Gord DownieLead singer of The Tragically Hip, spent the last few years of his life raising awareness of the impact of boarding school, releasing an album titled The Secret Path in 2016.
The album tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old boy who died of starvation and exposure after escaping Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School and attempting to walk back to his home. The album was and can be turned into a graphic novel by Jeff Lemire watched here.
Like two of Canada’s…
