By Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day established by the Canadian government in 2021 to honour survivors of residential schools and those who never returned home from them. The declaration of the day was a direct response to Call to Action 80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report, listing 94 Calls to Action.
We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 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.
Orange Shirt Day is also observed on September 30 each year, and it holds an equally significant meaning. Phyllis Webstad, the founder of Orange Shirt Day, wants Canadians to remember that this day came about as a way to honour the experiences of Indigenous peoples affected by the residential school system. In 2013, a few months after a commemoration event for residential schools in Williams Lake, she encouraged people to wear orange shirts in future years. Phyllis’s brand-new orange shirt was taken from her when she first arrived at Residential School and was never returned. The orange shirt is representative of all that was taken from Indigenous students by the Residential School system. As such, Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots initiative aimed at raising awareness of the impacts of the Residential School System in Canada. It is often mistaken for just another part of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, even though it pre-dated it by eight years.
September 30 is not a statutory holiday in Saskatchewan. Truth and Reconciliation Day is designated as a holiday for employees in federally regulated businesses and workplaces. Workers in the provinces and territories of Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon also receive the day off, as these governments have followed the federal government’s decision to make it a statutory holiday for their workers.
However, six provinces—Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador—accounting for 65.5 percent of the Indigenous population, have chosen not to declare the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a statutory holiday. In these regions of Canada, employers have the discretion to offer the day off, but they are not legally required to do so. The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) has started a petition to urge the provincial government to designate the day as a provincial holiday.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an opportunity for all of us to reflect upon the tragedy of the residential school system, to honour the victims and survivors of residential schools, and to commit to reconciliation.
Making September 30th a provincial statutory holiday will provide working people with the opportunity to use the day to learn, quietly reflect, or participate in reconciliation events in their communities.
Saskatchewan’s labour movement is committed to reconciliation and justice for indigenous peoples. The provincial government must recognize the role they play in reconciliation and the importance of this day and immediately legislate September 30th as a provincial holiday.
The petition is available to sign on the SFL website: sfl.sk.ca under the tabs Take Action and Petitions.
For those in the province who have the day off or can take it off, Wanuskewin Heritage Park will welcome the community on September 30 for a day of reflection, cultural sharing, and commemoration as part of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Supported generously by Nutrien, the day’s programming invites the public to come together with Elders, Survivors, and Knowledge Keepers in the spirit of truth, healing, and reconciliation.
“Since 2021, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has been recognized as a statutory holiday in Canada. But this day carries a much deeper meaning and reflects a history that extends far beyond its recent designation,” says Andrew McDonald, Co-Executive Director of Wanuskewin. “At Wanuskewin, our gathering is a powerful opportunity for education and healing—to honour survivors and listen to their truths. Through discussion, art, music, and dance, we invite everyone in our community to come together and take part.”
The day will begin with a Pipe Ceremony at 8:00 AM for staff, Elders, and Survivors, which will be followed by a Grand Entry at 10:00 AM featuring the Host Drum, Eagle Staff and flag bearers, and an opening prayer by Maria Linklater of the Saskatoon Survivors Circle.
“On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and every day, we honour the strength and stories of Survivors and their families,” says Julie Ann Wriston, Director of Indigenous Relations for Nutrien. “We are grateful to walk alongside Indigenous communities, to listen, reflect, and grow in our understanding. Our commitment is to a future rooted in respect, inclusion, and shared prosperity, where economic reconciliation nourishes all communities and all treaty people.”
From morning to afternoon, visitors can take part in:
• Healing exercises and songs led by facilitators
• Cultural activities such as bannock baking, medicinal tea teachings, beading, painting, storytelling, and guided tours
• Hourly gallery tours highlighting Indigenous perspectives and art
• Dance performances and a Round Dance beginning at 3:00 PM
Wanuskewin Heritage Park is a world-renowned Indigenous cultural and historical site just outside Saskatoon. As a center for education, reconciliation, and cultural preservation, Wanuskewin continues to celebrate the cultures and histories of the Northern Plains Indigenous peoples while it navigates the path towards earning UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) identifies, protects, and preserves cultural and natural heritage worldwide deemed to be of outstanding value to humanity. Parks Canada added Wanuskewin to Canada’s UNESCO Tentative List in 2017, and in the intervening years, Wanuskewin has worked to demonstrate and document its universal value. Wanuskewin will submit its final UNESCO World Heritage nomination dossier to Parks Canada in 2026.
Guests are encouraged to spend time in self-reflection at Wanuskewin’s exhibits, art galleries, playground, and over 6 km of scenic walking trails.