National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30, 2021 marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

This day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities.  The hope is that by recognizing the truth about this truly painful and tragic part of our history and the ongoing impacts it has caused our Indigenous people it will start to heal and begin the path to reconciliation.

At KOPYR we wanted to commemorate these tragic events by donating to the ongoing investment in Canada’s path to truth and reconciliation.  KOPYR donated $50 per employee to the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.  This gift will help with the continued education of Canadians about the horrors and affects these schools had on generations of Indigenous people.  It is only with education and understanding that we can show our support and ensure that history never repeats itself.

Our team at KOPYR has also chosen to wear orange on September 30 to show support for Orange Shirt Day.  This indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day honours the children who survived Indian Residential Schools and remembers those who did not.  The orange shirt relates to Phyllis Webstad from the Stswecem”c Xgat’tem First Nation.  On her first day of school, she arrived wearing a new orange shirt which was immediately taken from her.  We wear orange as a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.

Please join our KOPYR team and our fellow Canadians in wearing orange to raise awareness of the very tragic legacy of residential schools and to honour the Survivors.  For more information on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation or Orange Shirt Day please visit https://nctr.ca/ or https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html