Honouring Orange Shirt Day; National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30

What is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation?

On Jul 20, 2021, the Government of Canada declared September 30 the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a federal statutory holiday to allow public servants the opportunity “to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools”. The declaration of this holiday is in response to Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action No. 80, calling for the creation of a statutory holiday “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”. 

In March 2023, the Province of British Columbia passed legislation making September 30 a statutory holiday taking effect in 2023. This means that all workers in B.C. will be covered by the province’s Employment Standards Act and will be entitled to a paid day off, holiday pay, or other arrangements by agreement every September 30.

Is Orange Shirt Day the Same as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation?

Since 2013, the Orange Shirt Society, a not-for-profit organization located in Williams Lake B.C., has used Orange Shirt Day (September 30) as a day to recognize the ongoing harm that the residential school system has inflicted upon Indigenous communities. The date was chosen because it represents the time of the year that children were taken from their homes and moved into residential schools. The orange shirt itself comes from a story told by Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, remembering her first day at a residential school as a six-year-old, when a brand-new orange shirt given to her by her grandmother was taken from her by school administrators.

Donations to the Orange Shirt Society help Phyllis Webstad and the Orange Shirt Society raise awareness across Canada about the Indian Residential Schools and their continuing impacts on individuals, families and communities, and promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. Donations can be made online.

With the legislative adoption of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021, the government of Canada is responding to Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action No.80, calling 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.”.

The Government funds communities and organizations hosting events that “provide public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools” through a call for proposal process that opens each fall. 

Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation are events that happen on the same day. As Phyllis Webstad stated in 2024 to IndigiNews “It’s not one or the other, it’s both”. 

Purchasing Orange Shirts

We encourage you to avoid purchases from major retailers where funds may not have the impact you intended and instead make contributions that have the most direct positive impact to local Indigenous artists and Indigenous communities. In some cases, this may not be buying an orange shirt, but instead contributing to a local Indigenous Nation, a non-profit run by the Indigenous leadership or a crowdfunding campaign for community priorities. 

We encourage members to research their local First Nations to find crowdsourcing campaigns relevant to their region. These crowdsourced funds are meant to match or exceed the funding the federal and provincial governments are providing through their own process, meeting community needs quickly and addressing the expense of projects like Ground Penetrating Radar work. We encourage you to look at local options and support those that resonate with you. 

If you would like to purchase an orange shirt to wear on September 30, the Orange Shirt Society keeps a list of official suppliers on their website: https://orangeshirtday.org/merchandise/

Vancouver Magazine also made a list of shirts made by Indigenous designers in 2022: https://www.vanmag.com/Where-to-Purchase-Orange-Shirts-for-Canada-Day 

Should My Museum Close on September 30?

Ultimately, we encourage members to take whatever actions they feel will be the most impactful for their staff, volunteers, and community on September 30. For some organizations, closing and encouraging volunteers and staff to participate in community events or to spend time focusing on self-education is the best course of action. 

If your site is a place community members turn to learn about the history of colonization and the attempted genocide of Indigenous cultures and peoples, then staying open and facilitating community dialogue is the best course of action. 

For some organizations, it might make sense to close to the public and bring your board, staff, and volunteers together on-site for a day of learning. There are several online courses available, including Nahanee Creative, Home on Native Land, or through Indigenous Relations Academy. 

The BCMA strongly encourages our members to take time to reflect on what makes the most sense for them – have conversations with your team, ask other partner organizations what they are planning, and reflect on what could be the most meaningful course of action. However, we also caution non-Indigenous organizations asking Indigenous communities, partners, and staff to tell you what to do. Even well-meaning outreach can add emotional labour to Indigenous partners and it is important that non-Indigenous and settler Canadians take agency in redressing the wrongs of colonization and learning more. 

There is no single right answer, so look within and reflect on what makes the most sense for your specific organization.

Lou-ann Neel shared suggestions in 2023 for how non-Indigenous Canadians can demonstrate accountability and action on September 30. With her permission, we have shared those recommendations here and urge non-Indigenous arts, culture, and heritage professionals to reflect on the following points.

What Are Some Appropriate Resources and Events to Engage With?

If you are looking for resources and learning opportunities for yourself or to share with your staff, volunteers, or community, we recommend the following. If you have an event you’d like to share and add to this list, please email bcma@museum.bc.ca.