Earlier this month, the Province of Nova Scotia announced it will recognize September 30th annually as Truth and Reconciliation Day. All TCRCE schools and offices will be closed on September 30th. This provides intentional time to pause and reflect on the concepts of Truth and Reconciliation.
TCRCE schools and offices will respect, reflect, and observe this day on Wednesday, September 29th. This is also the day when students and staff are encouraged to mark “Orange Shirt Day.” Orange shirt stickers will be distributed to schools. Students and staff are welcomed to wear orange to observe and remember Indigenous children who have paid the ultimate price by being sent away to residential schools in Canada. Assemblies, school wide opportunities for learning, and special tributes will occur throughout our school system in the days leading up to and beyond “Orange Shirt Day.”
After Truth and Reconciliation Day, our schools will celebrate and acknowledge Treaty Day on October 1st. There is a distinction to be made between Truth and Reconciliation Day and Treaty Day. Treaty Day is a day to honour, celebrate, and continue to build relationships and acknowledge the contribution the Mi’kmaq People have made in Nova Scotia. This day both ends Reconciliation Week and begins Mi’kmaw History Month.
As highlighted in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), there are 94 calls to action under the subsection for Education. This is a critical entity for us, as Treaty People, to focus on our path forward to Reconciling our shared history.
Please see the following resources for further opportunities of learning:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/truth-and-reconciliation-week-tickets-153491752965 (Free registration)
https://nctr.ca/about/history-of-the-trc/trc-website/
https://www.orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story.html
https://www.orangeshirtday.org/resources–supplies.html
https://nctr.ca/education/
https://www.orangeshirtday.org/
With gratitude,
Dr. Chris Boulter
Regional Executive Director
Tri-County Regional Centre for Education
