September 30 – National Day of Remembrance for U.S. Indian Boarding Schools

September 30th is a somber day of remembrance for Indigenous people across Turtle Island, and it is also a look ahead to a better future, with truth and reconciliation.

In the US it’s referred to as the “National Day of Remembrance for U.S. Indian Boarding Schools”, in Canada it’s named “National Day For Truth & Reconciliation” or alternately, “Orange Shirt Day” (a reference to the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad who tells the story of her first day at residential school when her new orange shirt, a gift from her grandmother, was taken from her as a six-year old girl.  Read her story, in her own words, at orangeshirtday.org)

We share the stories of survivors, and remember those who perished, to heal our communities, and educate others as this is an era seldom discussed publicly, rarely taught in schools, and almost never in the full light of truth.

Learn more at The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) – a leading national organization dedicated to advocating on behalf of Native peoples impacted by U.S. Indian boarding school policies. Seeking truth through education and research, justice through advocacy and policy, and healing through Indigenous teaching and traditional gatherings.