If you’re wondering how you can honour the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, consider the following:
- APTN (The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network) – a full day of Indigenous programming
- National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation – live broadcast on CBC and APTN beginning at 8:00 PM local time
- First Nations Child and Family Caring Society in partnership with Assembly of Seven Generations, Project of Heart and Beechwood Cemetery
First National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: APTN honours residential school survivors, families and communities with day of special programming
September 15, 2021
Winnipeg, Man. – The federal government has declared September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDT&R), a statutory holiday to pause and reflect on the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools. To welcome this day of remembrance, APTN will be offering a full day of programming to raise awareness about the significance and meaning of NDT&R.
Special coverage in honour of residential school survivors, their families and their communities will span from 6 a.m., Sept. 30, 2021, to 6 a.m., Oct. 1, 2021, on APTN. In addition, a specially curated collection titled “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation” will be available on APTN lumi, including but not limited to Sami Blood, Confronting the Past, Red Robe Women’s Drum Group and Namgis Pole Raising.
“Sept. 30, 2021 will mark the first federal statutory holiday in honour of residential school survivors and provides an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of residential schools and the lasting trauma they have left behind,” says APTN CEO Monika Ille. “Education is key to reconciliation, and we will continue to be supportive of Indigenous initiatives that encourage truth and reconciliation. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that continue to be affected.”
The statutory holiday will ensure that public commemoration of the tragic history of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process. By recognizing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, all Canadians will be given the opportunity to reflect, learn, grieve and take collective action towards reconciliation. We mark this day as taking another important step forward as we walk along this shared path together.
APTN’s programming from September 30 – October 1 supports this discussion. The broadcast schedule for APTN, in order of appearance, is as follows:
1. APTN SUNRISE CEREMONY (September 30)
Greet the day with our latest production, APTN Sunrise Ceremony. This program will take audiences to various Indigenous communities across Turtle Island, where each community will gather to honour this important day with their traditions and culture.
APTN Sunrise Ceremony, honouring the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, was produced in partnership with the Government of Canada. This program marks the first federal statutory holiday in honour of residential school survivors.
2. WE CAN’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE (Also available on APTN lumi)
In 2007, a tense legal battle ensues when Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada is accused of discrimination. The Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations contended that the child and family welfare services provided to First Nations children on reserves and in the Yukon were underfunded and inferior to services offered to other Canadian children.
3. EVERY CHILD MATTERS (Also available on APTN lumi)
This documentary examines the path of reconciliation, guided by the voices of residential school survivors, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, artists and leaders from nations and cultures across the country.
4. RECONCILIATION AND ME (Also available on APTN lumi)
Sarain Fox leads a meaningful conversation on truth and reconciliation with five youth allies. Guided by real-life survivor stories, they reflect together to gain an understanding of reconciliation and the importance of relationships with Indigenous Peoples.
5. WE WERE CHILDREN (Also available on APTN lumi)
In this feature film, the profound impact of the Canadian government’s residential school system is conveyed through the eyes of two children who were forced to face hardships well beyond their years.
6. nîpawistamâsowin: WE WILL STAND UP (Also available on APTN lumi)
This film follows the family of the late Colten Boushie, a young Cree man fatally shot in a Saskatchewan farmyard, as they demand justice from Canada’s legal system.
7. MONKEY BEACH
A young Indigenous woman with supernatural abilities reflects on profound events in her life as she awaits news of her brother, who has gone missing at sea under questionable circumstances.
8. APTN NATIONAL NEWS
You can count on the APTN News team to bring you more comprehensive coverage of the stories that matter to you on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
9. INVESTIGATES: A TRAGIC LEGACY
In this APTN Investigates retrospective, reporter Kathleen Martens delves into the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history.
10. ENCORE: RECONCILIATION AND ME (Also available on APTN lumi)
11. LIVE: NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION BROADCAST
This special program produced by the NCTR (National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation) will air on CBC and APTN. Through this broadcast Canadians will have an opportunity to learn about the history between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. The program aims to increase awareness of the impacts of residential schools, the truth about the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous Peoples, and provide Canadian viewers with the opportunity to honour residential school survivors in ceremony.
12. INDIAN HORSE (Also available on APTN lumi)
In the late 1950s, eight-year-old Saul Indian Horse is sent to residential school, where he is denied his Ojibway language and culture. Saul finds salvation in a favourite winter pastime, hockey, but the real battle has only just begun.
13. ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF NOAH PIUGATTUK (Also available on APTN lumi)
In Kapuivik, North Baffin Island in 1961, Noah Piugattuk’s Inuit band lives and hunts by dog team, just as his ancestors did. When a white man known as Boss arrives at the camp, what appears to be a chance meeting soon opens up the prospect of momentous change.
14. ENCORE: INDIAN HORSE (Also available on APTN lumi)
15. ENCORE: WE WERE CHILDREN (Also available on APTN lumi)
16. ENCORE: APTN SUNRISE CEREMONY (October 1)
Greet the day with our latest production, APTN Sunrise Ceremony. This program will take audiences to various Indigenous communities across Turtle Island, where each community will gather to honour this important day with their traditions and culture.
Visit www.aptn.ca/ndtr/ for specific show times and more information.
BACKGROUND DETAILS:
WHAT IS NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILATION?
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is designated as an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools. It was originally proposed in 2015 by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, under which Action 80 called upon the federal government, in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, to establish a statutory holiday to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.
NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILATION EVOLVING FROM ORANGE SHIRT DAY, SIGNIFICANCE OF SEPTEMBER 30 DATE
Since 2013, September 30 has been observed as Orange Shirt Day, a movement to recognize the colonial history of residential schools and commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. Orange Shirt Day recalls the experience of residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad, who at age six, was stripped of her brand-new orange shirt on her first day attending the St. Joseph Mission Residential School near Williams Lake, B.C.
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
In honour of the 215 children whose remains were uncovered first, the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc Nation will drum for the children at 2:15 pm Pacific Time. All people on Turtle Island and around the world are invited to join Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc in marking this moment together.
On Thursday, the NCTR plans to mark Orange Shirt Day and the first statutory National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a live broadcast on the CBC, Radio-Canada and APTN at 8 p.m. local time (9 p.m. AT, 9:30 p.m. NT), as well as by lighting Turtle Island orange.
People are called on to mark the day by wearing orange and by displaying orange lights inside or outside of their homes. Communities are called on to mark the day by projecting orange onto their local landmark buildings to honour the children who came home from residential schools and those who did not.
Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – Virtual Participation!
by ahnationtalk on September 16, 2021
On September 30th, join us in honouring Orange Shirt Day and recognizing the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, no matter where you are!
The Caring Society has partnered with the Assembly of Seven Generations, Project of Heart and Beechwood Cemetery to bring together a day of education, reflection and action towards reconciliation. Read more below about these organizations and how they are working towards reconciliation. Use the links to take part in education and justice-based events happening at Beechwood Cemetery, whether at home, at school, or in your community!
Educational Resources for Justice and Reconciliation
Spirit Bear and Children Make History film
Spirit Bear and Children Make History read by Dr. Cindy Blackstock
Spirit Bear and Children Make History read in Carrier by Dorothy Patrick
Spirit Bear and Children Make History e-book and learning guide
Additional educational resources and links to our initiatives
Reconciling History
Beginning in 2014, Beechwood Cemetery, Funeral, and Cremation Services and the Beechwood Cemetery Foundation have collaborated with local First Peoples to create the Reconciling History program. Beechwood has partnered with the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society and KAIROS Canada.
With the ultimate goal of education and awareness, Beechwood strives to show both sides of history by not excluding the impact many prominent Canadians buried in our grounds had on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. Rather, Beechwood chooses to highlight both their achievements and their shortcomings to provide a holistic view of history. A selection of the stops on the tour have been recorded and are available below.
Reconciling History
Tour:
Dr. Peter Henderson Bryce (Video 1)
Dr. Peter Henderson Bryce (Video 2)
William Scott
Duncan Campbell Scott
Nicolas Flood Davin
Project of Heart
To learn more about Project of Heart and see a sampling of the tiles that will be on display at the memory labyrinth on September 30th, check out the virtual tour of previous exhibitions.
Assembly of Seven Generations
The Assembly of Seven Generations is an Indigenous and youth-led non-profit organization focused on cultural support and empowerment programs/policies for Indigenous youth.Please visit their website for more information about what they do.
Actions
To take action on or before September 30th, write a letter to Dr. Bryce outlining your personal commitments for reconciliation. Mail your letters to:
Dr. Peter Henderson Bryce
Beechwood Cemetery
280 Beechwood Avenue
Ottawa, ON, K1L 8A6.
We also encourage people of all ages to write to their elected representatives and the Prime Minister to urge them to fully implement the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. A letter template is available below. You can find the Calls to Action in child friendly language here.
You can also visit our website for 7 Free Ways to Make a Difference for more information on how to take up initiatives with your communities!