Content warning: This newsletter discusses ongoing harms caused by residential “schools” and colonialism. Please read with care. Support resources are available at the bottom of the newsletter.

Hello,

Tomorrow, Sept. 30, is the fifth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — a day to honour survivors of residential “schools” and their families and communities. It’s also a day to remember the many children who never returned home.

From 2008 to 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission heard testimonies from thousands of Indigenous people across the country to document the history of the residential “school” system and the harms it has caused and continues to cause to this day. The result was a final report from the commission detailing its findings and 94 Calls to Action for Canada to work towards reconciliation. This year marks the 10th anniversary of that report and the calls to action. In fact, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a direct response to Call to Action 80, which calls for a federal statutory day of commemoration.

According to Indigenous Watchdog, a non-profit that monitors progress towards fulfilling the Calls to Action, a total of 14 have been completed by the federal government as of Sept. 1, 2025. About 40 per cent of the Calls to Action have either stalled or not been started at all.

In 2023, the Yellowhead Institute — an Indigenous-led research and education centre based out of Toronto Metropolitan University — released a Status Update on Reconciliation. The report says “bureaucratic roadblocks, endless debate and nearly every excuse imaginable” have delayed progress to complete these calls. It points to the colonial violence, conflict, land dispossession, manufactured poverty, natural resource extraction, housing crises, boil water advisories, inadequate schooling and health (including mental health) challenges that Indigenous Peoples continue to face — among other things — while we wait for these Calls to Action to be completed.

“In the short time we have been annually observing Canada’s record on its supposed progress, we’ve held the tension of the promise of reconciliation with the actual reality — and are exasperated by the deep chasm between the two and frustrated by the discrepancy between inaction and Canada’s fantastical myths of benevolence,” the report said.

This year, the Yellowhead Institute also released a 10-year Review of the TRC’s Healthcare Calls to Action. 

From the 2022 Every Child Matters march on Quw'utsun lands. Photo by Shalu Mehta/The Discourse

So what can you do? You can attend local events to mark the day (see more on those below) and wear an orange shirt as Sept. 30 is Orange Shirt Day — a day to raise awareness about the intergenerational impacts of residential “schools.” You might also find time to support local Indigenous businesses either in-person or online.

Education is also key. There are so many phenomenal resources where you can learn about the history of Indigenous Peoples. I’ve shared some of those resources at the bottom of this newsletter, as well as some of The Discourse’s past relevant reporting.

Finally, as I learned from a former colleague at IndigiNews named Kelsie Kilawna, don’t forget to also lift up Indigenous joy, love and beauty. There are so many good things to acknowledge and learn from Indigenous peoples and communities. Remember to make space for that, too. 🧡