Recognizing September 30th – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day
A Day of Remembrance, Reflection, and Action
Content Warning: This post discusses the legacy of residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and ongoing systemic harms experienced by Indigenous Peoples. It may be triggering for Survivors, their families, and communities. If you need support, please call the 24-hour Indian Residential School Survivors and Family Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419 or the Hope for Wellness Helpline at 1-855-242-3310, available 24/7 for Indigenous Peoples.
September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters. It is a day of remembrance, reflection, and action. A day to honour Residential School Survivors, their families, and the thousands of children who never returned home.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which called on the federal government to create a statutory holiday recognizing Survivors and ensuring the history and legacy of residential schools are publicly remembered. Bill C-5 received Royal Assent on June 3, 2021, making this day a federal statutory holiday.
But for Lynwood Charlton Centre, this day is not just a holiday. It is a reminder of the ongoing work we must do—every day—to serve Indigenous children, youth, and families with dignity, respect, and cultural safety.
The Story Behind Orange Shirt Day
Orange Shirt Day began in 2013, rooted in the powerful testimony of Phyllis Webstad, a Residential School Survivor from the St. Joseph Mission in Williams Lake, British Columbia.
At six years old, Phyllis was excited to attend school for the first time, wearing a new orange shirt bought for her by her grandmother. But when she arrived at the mission school, her clothes were stripped away, including her treasured orange shirt. It was replaced with a school uniform—a uniform that stripped her of her identity, her culture, and her sense of self-worth.
For decades, the colour orange reminded Phyllis of that day—a day when she felt invisible, worthless, and that her feelings didn't matter. Her voice never mattered. She recounts her experience in her own powerful words: "I didn't understand why they wouldn't give it back to me, it was mine! Since then the colour orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn't matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing".
Over time, Phyllis's story became the foundation of a movement. Today, wearing an orange shirt on September 30th is a collective act of remembrance and solidarity—a way of saying that we will never forget the children, and that Every Child Matters.
Why Truth and Reconciliation Matters for Child and Youth Mental Health
At Lynwood Charlton Centre, we hold a clear understanding: our work in child and youth mental health cannot be separated from truth and reconciliation. The legacy of residential schools, the ongoing impacts of colonialism, and the systemic barriers faced by Indigenous families are not abstract concepts. They are lived realities that directly affect mental health and well-being.
The Legacy of Residential Schools
The residential school system operated in Canada for over a century—from the 1860s to 1996, with the last school, Kivalliq Hall in Rankin Inlet, closing in 1997. It was a system designed to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children, removing them from their families, communities, languages, and cultures.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) heard from over 6,500 witnesses, including Survivors, and concluded that the residential school system constituted a deliberate policy of cultural genocide. Children were subjected to profound neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and a systematic stripping of their identities. The trauma they endured didn't end when the schools closed—it has been passed down through generations, a phenomenon known as intergenerational trauma.
The Sixties Scoop
The harms did not stop with residential schools. The Sixties Scoop, which peaked in the 1960s and continued through the 1980s, refers to a child welfare policy in which Indigenous children were apprehended from their communities and placed in non-Indigenous, middle-class Euro-Canadian homes, often hundreds or thousands of miles away from their families, cultures, and communities. This policy, rooted in Eurocentric ideals that framed Indigenous people as "less worthy" and "unfit to parent," caused immense harm. Children were often stripped of their identities, denied their cultures, and many experienced abuse, resulting in another wave of trauma for Indigenous families and communities.
The Mental Health Impacts on Indigenous Youth Today
The statistics are a heartbreaking testament to these legacies of violence.
Indigenous youth are disproportionately affected by depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance use disorders, and post-traumatic stress symptoms.
In some communities, suicide rates among Indigenous youth are several times higher than the national average. A 2025 study confirmed that frustration linked to unfulfilled life conditions, such as housing instability and unmet medical needs, is strongly associated with suicidal ideation among Indigenous teenagers.
The relative risk of suicide is nearly nine times higher for Indigenous youth younger than 15 and slightly more than six times higher for those between 15 and 24, compared to their non-Indigenous peers.
The reasons for these disparities are not simply psychological. They are structural and social, rooted in colonialism, ongoing racism, poverty, inadequate housing, and underfunded education and health systems.
Why It Is Important to Acknowledge This History
Acknowledging and teaching this history—the unvarnished truth of residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and ongoing systemic discrimination—is essential to healing and reconciliation. Denialism and silence are not neutral; they allow the harms of colonialism to continue. As the TRC's final report concluded, the schools were part of a conscious policy of cultural genocide, and this truth must be part of Canada's shared history.
September 30th serves a vital purpose:
To honour the children who never returned home and to acknowledge the grief of their families and communities.
To educate future generations about the harms of the residential school system, so that such policies are never repeated.
To commit to the ongoing journey of reconciliation, which requires listening to Indigenous voices, upholding their rights, and working towards a just and equitable future.
How You Can Participate
There are many ways to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day:
Wear Orange. Wearing an orange shirt is a powerful symbolic act. It opens doors for conversations and demonstrates your commitment to the principle that Every Child Matters.
Learn and Reflect. Educate yourself about the history of residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and Indigenous histories. Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action. Explore the resources from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Attend a Community Event. Across Canada, communities host events on September 30th—walks, gatherings, ceremonies, and educational activities. Check for events in Hamilton or your local area.
Support Indigenous-Led Organizations. Consider supporting organizations working in Indigenous health, child welfare, and cultural revitalization.
Have Conversations. Talk to your children and youth about the meaning of Orange Shirt Day. Use age-appropriate language and resources to help them understand this chapter of Canadian history.
Listen. If you are a settler or non-Indigenous person, listen to Indigenous voices. Seek out media, books, and speakers who share their experiences and insights.
Our Commitment to the Future
At Lynwood Charlton Centre, our commitment to truth and reconciliation goes beyond statements and recognitions. It must be lived in our practice, our policies, and our relationships.
We know that:
Culturally grounded mental health care is essential. Our commitment to meaningful service delivery means recognizing the importance of culturally grounded care. We strive to honour Indigenous knowledge, support connections to culture and community, and create space for healing that respects each child and family's identity.
We must build authentic relationships. Reconciliation is not something we can do for Indigenous peoples—it must be done with them. We are committed to building stronger, more authentic relationships with Indigenous partners, knowledge keepers, and artists in the Hamilton community. This means co-creating initiatives with Indigenous communities, not for them.
We will continue to learn and grow. We are not experts in Indigenous ways of knowing, but we are committed to learning, listening, and walking alongside Indigenous communities in a respectful way.
We acknowledge the land. We recognize that our work takes place on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, as a reminder of our responsibilities to the original peoples of this land.
Reconciliation is not confined to one day—it is a lifelong journey that calls for humility, accountability, and action. Today, and every day, let us remember that acknowledging the truth is the first step, but living that truth and fostering meaningful change is our shared responsibility. On September 30th, and every day, we recommit to this path.
Nya:weh (Haudenosaunee Cayuga)
Nya:wen (Haudenosaunee Mohawk)
Chi Miigwetch (Anishinaabe)
With gratitude and respect,
The Team at Lynwood Charlton Centre
If you are a Residential School Survivor, a family member, or an Indigenous person in need of support, help is available:
Indian Residential School Survivors and Family Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419 (24/7)
Hope for Wellness Helpline: 1-855-242-3310 (24/7, available in English, French, Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut)
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868
For non-Indigenous allies and settler readers: Use this day to listen, learn, and reflect on your role in the journey toward reconciliation.
REFRENCES:
Government of Canada National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Government of Canada Sixties Scoop
University of Saskatchewan Orange Shirt Day
Métis National Council Sixties Scoop
British Columbia Government News B.C. and the Orange Shirt Society say ‘Every Child Matters’
