Resources you can access on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Residential school survivors can call the crisis line at 1-866-925-4419.

The Hope for Wellness Help Line is available 24/7 for all Indigenous people at 1-855-242-3310. Online chat is available through Google Chrome. 

Friday, September 30th, marks the second National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

The day is set to remember and honour the lost children, survivors and families of the residential school system in Canada. The system operated between the 1870s and 1996 under the control of the Canadian government and Christian churches.

Understanding that the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation isn’t just another holiday is essential. The ongoing impacts of the horrid system continue to impact thousands today.

Here are some resources to help you learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ calls for action and justice as the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation approaches.

Read the 94 calls to action by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee.

Read digital copies of public records tied to residential schools and their policies at the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre.

Watch APTN’s special programming. A schedule outlining the special 35-hour program is available here.

The Indigenous broadcaster is also producing an hour-long commemorative gathering with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation can be watched here at 1pm ET on September 30th.

Read Dr. Scott Hamilton’s report on where deceased residential school students are buried and the work that needs to continue.

Learn about Indigenous media through The Indigenous Interactive Media and Video Game Database.

Find out what Indigenous land you live on and the associated languages and treaties with Native Land’s interactive map.

Read Thomas Peace and Candace Brunette-Debassige’s article in The Conversation about academic institutions needing to revisit their founding stories.

Learn about the history and impact of residential schools through a timeline on the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s website. 

Read Bradly Shankar’s story for MobileSyrup about Achimostawinan Games and the importance of Indigenous stories in gaming.