Today is National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, often known as “Orange Shirt Day.” The day commemorates the children who never returned home, as well as the survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was established in 2008 to investigate the history of our country’s residential schools. Their work brought to light the enormous and detrimental consequences of these institutions, the impacts of which have been felt for decades by Indigenous children, families, and communities. The legacy of residential schools and the related intergenerational trauma continues to have a substantial impact on Indigenous people’s health and well-being in Canada.
We wear orange shirts to represent the destruction of Indigenous children’s culture through generations. It is everyone’s responsibility to understand our shared past. To join the journey of reconciliation, SafeLink Alberta invites you to take part in events and learning opportunities taking place today:
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Online
Remembering the Children
Government of Canada | September 30
A 1-hour national commemorative gathering will be broadcast live from Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats. Check your local listings.
Medicine Hat
National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Event
Medicine Hat College | September 30
Hosted by Medicine Hat College and the Miywasin Friendship Centre, Medicine Hat College and community members are invited to come together to walk, reflect and listen as part of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Calgary
Reviving Our Spirit with Language
Trellis | September 30
Join Trellis for a rich cultural experience on the importance of language reclamation, as we tackle the struggle, the hopes, and the actions that we may all take on our journeys to language reclamation and reconciliACTION.
Indigenous Awareness: The Blanket Exercise
Calgary Public Library | September 30
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is an experiential exercise that looks at the lived experience of Indigenous people within Canadian history. Join to be part of this immersive experience and examine our shared colonial legacy.
Fort Calgary | September 30
This National Truth and Reconciliation Day (Orange Shirt Day), join a free walking tour where we will confront the colonial history of Fort Calgary, discuss our ongoing work to decolonize the stories we tell, and share insights about what we have learned about reconciliation so far.
Guided Walks on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
University of Alberta | September 30
Join the University of Alberta for reflective land-based teaching and learning on September 30, 2022, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Two walks are planned for this day, each considering the histories of these lands and its peoples from different vantage points.
Orange Shirt Day: Afternoon Panel Discussion
UCalgary & Calgary Public Library | September 30
Join UCalgary’s Office of Indigenous Engagement for a panel discussion revisiting the commitments of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in light of the unmarked graves, and our path forward.
Night Raiders Film Screening and Discussion
Calgary Public Library | September 30
Set in a post-war future that follows the journey of a mother trying to rescue her daughter from a state-run institution, this dystopian sci-fi film digs deep into Canada’s painful past and examines the forced assimilation of Indigenous people.
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SafeLink Alberta acknowledges that we work and live on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi, including Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, and boundaries of the land of the Cree, Sioux, and the Saulteaux bands of the Ojibwa. Southern Alberta is also the homeland of the Métis Nation within Region III. As many of us are settlers on this land, we feel it is essential to recognize Indigenous Peoples as the traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories.
As an organization, we are actively working to disrupt colonial structures by examining our systems and working to reduce barriers. Our services strive to engage Indigenous communities along a path of wellness and healing through support services for people experiencing risks such as houselessness, substance use, mental health concerns, isolation, and lack of supports and health care. SafeLink Alberta offers Strong Voices as a culturally informed outreach and support program for Indigenous communities. This program offers cultural connection, case management, crisis support, referrals, and free harm reduction supplies. To access these services email [email protected].