September 30 has traditionally been known as Orange Shirt Day. Founded by Phyllis Webstad in 2013, Orange Shirt Day is a grassroots campaign that grew out of her own experiences and the experiences of other residential school survivors who attended St. Joseph’s Mission near Williams Lake. It is a day to honour and hold up the healing journeys of residential school survivors and their families and to engage in meaningful discussions about the history and legacy of the residential school system.
In June 2020, the federal government passed legislation to mark September 30 as a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The Province of BC subsequently chose to observe this as a day of recognition in the public sector while engaging Indigenous Peoples on how best to observe moving forward.
All members of the UBC community are encouraged to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, whether through personal reflection, education and awareness activities or by participating in Orange Shirt Day or other events within your communities.
- Participate in the Intergenerational March to commemorate Orange Shirt Day.
- Complete Respect, Sincerity & Responsibility: Land Acknowledgements at UBC, a sixty-minute self-paced course exploring what land acknowledgements are, their importance and addressing barriers in making an acknowledgement.
- Read the UBC Beyond story 6 ways to deepen your understanding of Indian residential school history.
- Immerse yourself in the Office of Indigenous Strategic Initiatives website featuring impact stories, implementation updates, and funding opportunities.
To learn more, visit https://irshdc.ubc.ca/orange-shirt-day.