Events around Sask. commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
CBC
Saskatchewan observed Canada's first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation today alongside the rest of the country on Thursday.
The new federal statutory holiday honours the survivors of residential schools and their families and communities.
It is intended to give Canadians a chance to learn about the legacy of residential schools, and asks the country to reflect on its bleak history of mistreatment of Indigenous peoples and the lasting intergenerational trauma of residential schools.
The federal statutory day was officially declared on June 3 of this year, after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended it in its 94 calls to action, which were released in 2015.
Action No. 80 called for this day to "ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process."
The day saw federally regulated workplaces, banks and post offices closed.
It also coincides with Orange Shirt Day, described by the federal government as an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day that encourages the wearing of an orange shirt to "honour the children who survived Indian Residential Schools and remember those who did not."