National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Residential school survivors can call the crisis line at 1-866-925-4419.

The Hope for Wellness Help Line is available 24/7 for all Indigenous people at 1-855-242-3310. Online chat is available through Google Chrome.

Friday, September 30th, marks the second National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

The day is set to remember and honour the lost children, survivors and families of the residential school system in Canada. The system operated between the 1870s and 1996 under the control of the Canadian government and Christian churches.

Understanding that the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation isn’t just another holiday is essential. The ongoing impacts of the horrid system continue to impact thousands today.

Here are some resources to help you learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ calls for action and justice as the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation approaches.

Read the 94 calls to action by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee.

Read digital copies of public records tied to residential schools and their policies at the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre.

Watch APTN’s special programming. A schedule outlining the special 35-hour program is available here.

The Indigenous broadcaster is also producing an hour-long commemorative gathering with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation can be watched here at 1pm ET on September 30th.

Read Dr. Scott Hamilton’s report on where deceased residential school students are buried and the work that needs to continue.

Learn about Indigenous media through The Indigenous Interactive Media and Video Game Database.

Find out what Indigenous land you live on and the associated languages and treaties with Native Land’s interactive map.

Read Thomas Peace and Candace Brunette-Debassige’s article in The Conversation about academic institutions needing to revisit their founding stories.

Learn about the history and impact of residential schools through a timeline on the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s website.

Read Bradly Shankar’s story for MobileSyrup about Achimostawinan Games and the importance of Indigenous stories in gaming.

The 24-hour crisis line for residential school survivors and family is 1-866-925-4419.

Hope for Wellness has a 24/7 toll-free helpline available for all Indigenous Peoples at 1-855-242-3310, and offers online chat-based counselling services.

The federal government has declared Thursday, September 30th Canada’s inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, in honour of the lost children and survivors of Canada’s residential school system, their families and communities.

As a statutory holiday, the purpose of this day is to pause and reflect on the history and ongoing effects of the country’s abusive residential school system, which operated from the 1870s until 1996 under the joint administration of the Canadian government and Christian churches.

In the lead-up to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, here are some resources to learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ calls for action and justice, charities to support, how to identify what Indigenous lands you (and your digital footprint) stand on, and the role of technology in reconciliation.

Read the 94 calls to action published by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Read the 231 calls for justice published by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Watch the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network’s (APTN) special programming for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Donate to Indigenous charities in your area.

Use Native Land Digital’s interactive map to identify what Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages exist on the land where you live.

Add the ‘Web Acknowledgement‘ Chrome browser extension by caleblstone to discover on which Indigenous lands the websites you visit are physically stored.

Read Katłįà (Catherine) Lafferty’s report for IndigiNews about the experts and programs working to “lift barriers for Indigenous Peoples in B.C.’s booming tech industry.”

Read Jarret Leaman’s article in BetaKit explaining why “Canadian tech must embrace Indigenous reconciliation.”

Read Mélissa Godin’s feature in The Globe and Mail on how “poor internet connectivity has affected nearly every aspect of life” for residents of Nunavut.

Read Aisha Malik’s story for MobileSyrup celebrating Indigenous TikTok creators who are “using the app to spread laughter and connect with others.”