CUASA Statement on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 29, 2022

CUASA Statement on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Tomorrow is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, a day meant to honour and remember all the Indigenous children taken from their families and communities and sent to residential schools.

The use of an orange shirt was inspired by the story of Phyllis Jack Webstad (Northern Secwepemc), who was six years old when she had her clothing taken from her on her first day of residential schooling, including a shiny new orange shirt bought by her grandmother. Webstad’s stolen shirt has become symbolic of a system that robbed Indigenous children of their cultures, familial and land connections, and ways of life. The orange shirt represents the abuse suffered by generations of residential school survivors and the loss of those who did not survive.

CUASA encourages its members to wear an orange shirt tomorrow to help raise awareness of Canada’s history of human rights abuses through the residential school system and to bring attention to the ongoing injustices facing Indigenous peoples today. There are also many events scheduled to take place tomorrow. We encourage members to participate in an event if they can and to take time to reflect on truth and conciliation in Canada.

The Ottawa Labour Council will be walking up to Parliament Hill tomorrow. If you wish to join, please meet at the Labour Council offices located at 280 Metcalfe Street to depart at approximately 9:00 am. There will be a limited supply of 2022 Orange Shirts that will be given out on a first-come basis.

Also tomorrow, the School of Public Policy and Administration is hosting an event called Braiding Truth, Reconciliation, and Rights from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. Come learn about Inuit social and economic experiences between 1950-1975 and the Inuit-led and delivered 2007-2010 Qikiqtani Truth Commission (QTC), which shares perspectives between Canada and Inuit, Northern and Southern Canada, Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. The event will explore historical narratives and contemporary action and aims to provide a deeper understanding of policy processes, societal shifts, and collective visions of change. You can register to attend in person or to watch the live stream.

To learn more about Orange Shirt Day, you can visit the Orange Shirt Society website, or find stories and resources on the University’s Orange Shirt Day website. You can also visit the Canadian Labour Congress’s Indigenous Rights and Justice Resource Centre.