Fall a time to say goodbye to summer and welcome new beginnings

 For many of us, fall can be a bittersweet time. On the one hand, the days are getting shorter and the first frost is almost here — if it hasn’t already arrived — but then it’s also when students start back to school and life takes on more of a steady routine.

Fall is also a special time because it’s the day of Truth and Reconciliation when all Canadians learn, recognize and reflect upon the history and ongoing legacy of residential schools, the trauma experienced by many, and the hope for a healthy future. The day emphasizes the ongoing need for reconciliation, and building and strengthening relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

September 30, 2021, marks the first national and provincial day for Truth and Reconciliation and also Orange Shirt Day, a day when Canadians wear orange to recognize the ongoing intergenerational effects of residential schools and to acknowledge that “Every Child Matters”. The orange shirt symbolizes the stripping away of culture, self-esteem and freedom from Indigenous children over generations.

If you haven’t already, you can check out our September 2022 post, Remembering the Children, to learn more about what actions each of us can take to further Truth and Reconciliation and make a difference. A number of activities are also planned this year throughout Alberta in late September, early October to commemorate this day.

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