Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, where we honour the children who never returned home, the survivors of residential schools, and their families and communities. September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, where we wear orange to show our support for reconciliation and remind us of the enduring truth that every child matters.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has seven Calls to Action specific to healthcare in Canada. These calls to action remind us that there is much work left to be done, not only to recognize and mourn the effects of colonization on the health and wellbeing of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, but also to close significant gaps in health outcomes, provide culturally safe care, and improve the representation of Indigenous healthcare providers in all areas of our health system.
Moving like the water: Decolonizing medicine with Teresa Joudrey
Read our conversation with Teresa Joudrey, owner of Santele’s Healing Circles (pronounced sandle-less), a business that offers Indigenous-led cultural-based learning circles. She shares her story and reflects on how we can decolonize medicine as we practice reconcili-action.
How can I take steps towards reconciliation?
From the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada, “Reconciliation in this context is not just about acknowledging that residential schools occurred and that they created harm. It calls upon all Canadians to recognize the ideas and structures that created the residential schools in the first place, and to rise against these outdated and deeply oppressive ways of thinking.”
On September 30 and every day of the year, it is our responsibility to learn, listen, and act.
Attend local events
- The City of Hamilton is hosting a Sunrise Ceremony beginning at 7am and a Morning Gathering from 10am to 12pm at the West Harbour James St Plaza (James St N. at Guise St E.).
- The Hamilton Public Library is holding events throughout September and October.
- On September 30 from 9am to 4:30pm, the Woodland Cultural Centre is hosting a day of reflection, learning, culture and community.
- Find more local events in the CBC and in the Hamilton Spectator.
Read, watch, listen
- Reconciliation: A Starting Point is a mobile app you can download to learn more about First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, including key historical events and examples of reconciliation initiatives.
- The City of Hamilton has a substantial resource list of book, films, audio, and more to learn more about the history of residential schools, colonization, and the history and present of Indigenous communities in Canada. They also have an Urban Indigenous Strategy specific to Hamilton.
- In 2011, Well Living House, an action research centre for Indigenous infants, children, and their families’ health and well-being, released Our Health Counts: an Urban Aboriginal Health Database Research Project. Key findings from this project identified significant housing, income, and health inequities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Hamilton.
- In 2023, the City of Hamilton Public Health Services released an Indigenous Health Strategy, developed in partnership with leaders of Indigenous organizations and Indigenous community members across the city. This strategy identified specific supports or services that are needed in Hamilton, with the most commonly identified needs in surveys and interviews being access to traditional healing and wellness (67% of respondents), followed by access to housing (62%) and access to primary healthcare (38%).
- Visit the Government of Canada webpage to read more about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.
- Familiarize yourself with the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).