Dear Members,
Inspired by the story of residential school survivor Phyllis Jack Webstad, people across Canada have commemorated September 30 as Orange Shirt Day for nearly a decade. In 2021, the federal government passed legislation to mark September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
As a young girl, Phyllis was given a new orange shirt by her grandmother before being taken to a B.C. residential school. The shirt was confiscated and destroyed by her teacher on the first day of class. The destruction of Phyllis’s shirt has come to symbolize the colonial goal of residential schools to assimilate Indigenous peoples.
In 2021, the federal government passed legislation to mark September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The implementation of this new federal holiday is an important part of the reconciliation process that has been called for by Indigenous peoples and by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
The ongoing recovery of unmarked graves sites near the locations of former residential schools has been a grim reminder of their legacy. We stand with Indigenous communities as they grieve these unjust losses within their communities.
Johnathan Dyer, CUPE 391 Vice President and National Indigenous Council Co-Chair, shares his thoughts on the holiday:“September 30 is an opportunity to remember the children who never made it home from the residential schools, whether that was physically or spiritually. During my lifetime we have seen these institutions close their doors for good, people refusing to accept what happened and finally these atrocities coming to light for the wider public. When the first 215 children were revealed to the general public through ground penetration software, I had a co-worker state that they never knew children died in these schools. This is why we need days like September 30 to remind us all of the cost the country currently known as Canada came with, and to remember the children who returned to the ancestors too early.”
Later this week, in recognition of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 57, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and girls (MMIWG) Call for Justice 9.2, our commitments under the new Collective Agreement, and the feedback received in the most recent Employee Engagement Survey there will be a joint bulletin between the Union and People & Culture announcing information about free tuition to an online indigenous led and indigenous created Indigenous Awareness Training certification that will be available to all members. More details about access to this training will follow later this week.
For additional resources for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, please see the links that follow here:
Additional Resources
- 94 Calls to Action from the TRCC
- Orange Shirt Day events across BC
- Guide to Observing September 30th from Moosehide Campaign
- Indigenous inclusion workbook from Nahanee Creative
Former Senator Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission said:
“The road we travel is equal in importance to the destination we seek. There are no shortcuts. When it comes to truth and reconciliation we are forced to go the distance.”
Today and everyday, we remember our commitment to do better for Indigenous People who’s unceded ancestral territories we exist on every day.
Support options available for Indigenous members are listed below.
First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line and Online Counselling Service
The Hope for Wellness Help Line offers immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention to all Indigenous peoples across Canada 24/7 via online chat or phone.
- 1-855-242-3310 (24/7)
- https://www.hopeforwellness.ca
KUU-US Crisis Line
KUU-US Crisis Line Society provides support to callers within the Port Alberni area as well as Indigenous people throughout the province of British Columbia. The goal is to establish a non-judgmental approach to listening and problem solving.
- 1-800-588-8717
- https://www.kuu-uscrisisline.com/24-hour-crisis-line
Indian Residential School Survivors Society
IRSSS provides essential services to Residential School Survivors, their families, and those dealing with Intergenerational traumas.
- 1-800-721-0066
- https://www.irsss.ca/contact
President