09/30/2025
September 30 as Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
Orange Shirt Day is a commemorative day led by Indigenous communities to raise awareness about the intergenerational impacts of residential schools on children, families, and communities. It honours Indigenous children who were lost in the residential school system.
The orange shirt symbolizes the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem that many Indigenous children experienced. This day reminds us that “Every Child Matters”.
The visuals bring together symbols of the 3 Indigenous groups across Canada: the eagle for First Nations, the narwhal for Inuit, and the beaded flower for the Métis. At the centre is a circle which symbolizes unity and the spirit of reconciliation, while the pathway running through it represents the reconciliation journey. The stars symbolize the children who never returned home from residential schools. The orange colour represents truth-telling and healing.
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September 30, 2021, marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day that coincides with Orange Shirt Day. It recognizes the tragic legacy of residential schools, the missing children, the families left behind and the survivors of these institutions.