September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also called Orange Shirt Day. It is a national day of memory for the generations of Indigenous children taken to residential schools: for people who are Survivors, intergenerational Survivors, their families and communities, and for the children who never made it home from the schools.

Orange Shirt Day was begun by Phyllis Webstad, a Survivor who at age six had entered the St. Joseph Mission Residential School in B.C wearing a beloved orange shirt, only to have it taken away and replaced with the institution’s uniform. The loss of the orange shirt became symbolic of all that was taken from children at the schools – language, culture, family and community relationships, spiritual practices, safety, security, identity and sometimes even their lives.

The Presbyterian Church in Canada ran 12 residential schools. In the church’s apology we make five fundamental commitments, including listening to and learning from Indigenous people and telling the truth about the past. One way congregations support these commitments is by publicly marking September 30.

Suggestions for ways to get involved:

  • Read Phyllis Webstad’s story .
  • Mark September 30 in worship. Bulletin covers and worship planner , and a Prayer of Repentance resources are available.
  • Read the church’s Apology colonization and residential schools. Guidelines for congregations planning to read the Apology in a congregational setting are available.
  • Consider donating to the Honouring the Children Fund, which supports Indigenous-led initiatives associated with searches for unmarked burial sites, responding to trauma and supporting healing initiatives in Indigenous nations and communities where schools were operated by The Presbyterian Church in Canada.
  • Check local Indigenous organizations or municipalities for public events marking September 30.
  • Watch, and learn more about the church’s complicity in colonization and residential school system.
  • Additional information and resources can be found on the Social Action Hub’s Indigenous Justice webpage.