File photo of the raising of the Blackfoot Confederacy flag outside of Lethbridge City Hall. (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Canada recognizes the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Sep 30, 2021 | 7:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Today marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Earlier this year, the federal government passed Bill C-5, declared September 30 as a statutory holiday. It’s aimed at honouring the lives lost and impacted by the residential school system in Canada.

Communities will be recognizing the day in various manners, including Lethbridge.

READ MORE: City raises permanent Blackfoot Confederacy flag to start Reconciliation Week

More details on what the city is doing are available here.

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215 GRAVES

In May, what is believed to be the graves of 215 children were discovered at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

READ: “Unthinkable” – 215 child graves found at former Kamloops Indian Residential School

Since then, further discoveries have been made at former residential school sites across the country.

READ MORE: 751 unmarked graves at Saskatchewan residential school: First Nation

The various discoveries have led to more and more discussions on the history of Canada’s residential school system. Lethbridge News Now spoke with Mike Bruised Head in June. Bruised Head is an Elder with the Blood Tribe and is a survivor of the St. Mary’s School on the Blood Reserve.

READ MORE: Survivor says treatment at former residential schools cannot be “swept under the rug”

WEAR ORANGE

September 30 is also known as ‘Orange Shirt Day’, with Canadians encouraged to wear an orange shirt to recognize the occasion.

Orange Shirt Day has been observed since 2013, when Phyllis Webstad shared her story at the St. Joseph Mission residential school commemoration event in Williams Lake, B.C.

When Webstad was six years old, she said she was excited to wear her new orange shirt, given to her by her grandmother, to her first day of residential school. Unfortunately, the shirt was taken from her when she got to school, and she never saw it again.

The slogan for Orange Shirt Day, ‘Every Child Matters’ was chosen to recognize that the children who attended residential schools felt that they did not matter. The day has since provided a greater opportunity to continue the dialogue on the effects of residential schools, listen to stories of survivors and help create a sense of understanding and support.

More on Phyllis’ story is available here. Further details about the Orange Shirt Society are here.