The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) responds to Call to Action #80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which observes a federal statutory holiday to honour Survivors, their families, and communities. This day coincides with Orange Shirt Day, which began in 2013 to honour Phyllis Webstad’s story and the experience of thousands of children whose identities and cultures were suppressed in the Residential School System.

Seven Generations

Seven Generations teachings encourage us to consider how our actions today are shaped by those who came before us and how they will affect those who come after us. These teachings remind us of our responsibility to cultivate a future in which the generations yet to come can thrive.

At the heart of Truth and Reconciliation are the voices and experiences of Residential School Survivors and their families. Their stories, teachings, and resilience provide essential guidance for understanding the lasting impacts of Residential Schools and ongoing journeys toward Reconciliation. By listening to Survivors with reverence and humility, we honour their experiences and acknowledge the Truths they have courageously shared.

As you explore this guide, we invite you to reflect on the connections between past, present, and future. May this guide support learning, reflection, and action as we walk the path of Truth and Reconciliation for the benefit of the next seven generations.

What Can We Do?

As individuals, we all have a role to play in this collective experience of Reconciliation. We can participate in this day by spending time listening, learning and reflecting. This is an opportunity to walk together on our pathways toward Reconciliation. As you prepare your intentions for September 30, we want to share some fundamental ways you can listen, learn, reflect and act in Reconciliation and in commemoration of the day.

LISTEN

Listening to Survivors is essential to understanding the full history of Residential Schools. Their firsthand experiences reveal the realities of loss, trauma, resilience and cultural disruption. By hearing and respecting Survivors’ voices and reflecting on what is being shared. we acknowledge the harms that were done and support the ongoing process of healing. These podcasts feature the voices of Residential School Survivors and their stories.

• Woven Spirit, Threads of Wisdom is a youth-run podcast presented by The Indigenous Residential Schools Survivors Society.

• Survivors is an 8-part podcast made in partnership with CJSW and the Government of Canada’s Department of Canadian Heritage.

LEARN

Educating yourself and taking accountability for building knowledge is an ongoing process. You can seek to understand more about Truth, history, and the realities of Indigenous peoples. With Truth comes healing and justice. Below are some resources to support your learning journey.

• Join a virtual event or webinar
  • Truth and Reconciliation Week 2026 with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation 

• Read a book:
  • For the latest work pushing back on Residential School denialism, pre-order Truth Before Reconciliation (2026), edited by Sean Carlton and Niigaanwewidam Sinclair. This book, embedded in the lived experiences of Survivors, provides the historical and information literacy needed to identify and combat anti-Indigenous racism.
  • Talk Treaty To To Me (2026), by Crystal Gail Fraser and Sara Komarnisky, draws out the complexities of Treaties in understanding relations among Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and sets a path to clarify the roles, rights, and responsibilities we all have in honouring those Treaties.
  • Divided Power: How Federalism Undermines Reconciliation (2025), by Emily Grafton, examines the ways that the division between the state and provinces and territories in the lands now known as Canada obstructs Indigenous Peoples’ agency and governance.
  • 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing (2025), by David A. Robertson. This essential guide will help you understand how small and attainable acts toward Reconciliation can make a difference.

Play an educational board game.

• The Truth in Truth and Reconciliation Board Game, created by James Darin Cornier, is an essential educational resource for learning about the process of colonization and igniting interest in Reconciliation. Players circle Turtle Island to collect eagle feathers before being stripped of land, language and culture. The game includes a graphic novel and a curriculum guide!

Have a conversation with a colleague, friend or family member about what you have been learning about this month, and ask them about their learning journey.

REFLECT

Seven Generations teachings invite us to consider the interconnectedness of past, present and future. Indigenous survivance reminds us that Indigenous Peoples are not defined solely by histories of loss, but by enduring strength, resistance, renewal, and continuance. As you reflect on these questions, consider how Truth, responsibility and action can contribute to a future in which all living beings can thrive.

• What legacy are we inheriting? As we reflect on Seven Generations teachings, what gifts, lessons, struggles, and responsibilities have Survivors, Elders and ancestors carried forward?

• What legacy are we creating? What actions, relationships, and commitments are we building today that future generations will inherit?

• What wisdom can guide us, and what Truths must we carry? What Truths about the impacts of Residential Schools, colonialism and Indigenous resilience do we need to acknowledge and remember? How can carrying these Truths forward help ensure they are neither forgotten nor repeated?

• What responsibilities do we hold today, and what future are we helping create? How can we move beyond awareness into meaningful action? When future generations look back on this moment, what story will they tell about the choices we made?

ACT

Seven Generations teachings remind us to consider how our actions today will affect those who come after us, while also honouring the wisdom and experiences of those who came before. In this spirit, Reconciliation is not a single act or conversation, but an ongoing commitment to building respectful relationships and creating a better future for generations to come. A few actions you can take this month, in addition to listening, learning and reflecting, include:

• Support businesses led by Indigenous youth:
  • Follow, share, and order beaded corporate gifts for protocol from Pretty Iron Co., run by sister duo Kayshja and Barbara Eli, Piikani artists who create handcrafted beadwork pins and accessories.
  • Check out Neechi By Nature, Ojibway luxury wear created by multidisciplinary creative Shane Kelsey.

• Seek out ways to contribute to disaster relief efforts for Indigenous communities affected by wildfires, either directly to those communities or through emergency relief organizations:
  • Indigenous Climate Action maintains a list of active wildfires and provincial wildfire resources.
  • Canadian Red Cross partners with Indigenous communities for wildfire relief efforts.
  • True North Aid provides to remote and northern Indigenous communities through community initiatives and supplies programs.

• Donate directly to the Orange Shirt Society or the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

• Attend a local event in your area, such as:
  • Pokaiks Reconciliation Society: Walk and Ceremony in Calgary, AB, on September 30, 2026.
  • The Governor General of Canada will host a Sacred Fire on September 30, 2026, in Ottawa, ON.

• Sign up or donate to Walk for Wenjack 2026.

To download and share this information, click here for the 2026 Rise Consulting National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Guide.