2 min read

We Continue to Listen, Learn, and Grow as We Recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Kindred Credit Union : September 27, 2023

#Community Impact

We Continue to Listen, Learn, and Grow as We Recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Recognizing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Each year as we seek to listen, learn, and grow relationships with Indigenous neighbours, we appreciate the importance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. We recognize this date as a day to “honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.” Since September 30 falls on a weekend this year, Kindred’s observance of this day includes closing all of our locations on Monday, October 2. We will use this time to encourage members and staff to reconnect, reflect, and move toward action.

How we can Learn, Listen, and Act together

Leading up to September 30, each year we collect and share additional resources in support of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Below are some ways you can learn, listen, and act. Looking for more? Read our 2022 blog and check out additional resources.

Learn

Read (and Read Again) Calls to Action

Have you read the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada? Even if you have read them before, we encourage you to read, reconnect and reflect on the Calls each year. How can you move from reflection to action? Consider choosing one or two Calls to Action that you could integrate into your life or work. What’s your plan? How will you hold yourself accountable?

Orange Shirt Day

For many years, one of the tools for building awareness of the harms done through the residential school system has been to wear an orange shirt. Held annually since 2013, September 30 marks Orange Shirt Day, a day to learn about, remember, and honour Indigenous children who were taken from their families and sent to residential schools across Canada. Read the history of how Orange Shirt Day came to be.

Listen

Undercurrents Podcast

Our partner, Mennonite Central Committee of Ontario (MCCO), has been using podcasts as a way of sharing the stories they’re privileged to hear through their work. You can listen to this Undercurrents episode that connect with MCCO’s Indigenous Neighbours Program. Lay of the land - Season 3, Episode 17

This is the story of MCC’s Sowing Reconciliation project to help grow gardeners in First Nations communities to help address rising food prices and promote food sovereignty.
Consider the following questions to guide your reflection on this episode:

Do you know where your food comes from. Do you know how to grow your own food?
What local community gardens exist in your own neighborhood or community?
What impact have rising food prices had on your life, and what can you take forward from this episode?

Act

Seek for yourself

You can take action on September 30th, and it should not stop there. We encourage you to seek events, activities, and ways to support your local Indigenous organizations for yourself. From art and music to small businesses, there are many ways to engage. Below are some local events to check out in 2023. This is not a comprehensive list rather a place to start: University of Waterloo’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 29. 3rd Annual Cambridge Orange Shirt Day event on September 30 at 6:00pm. Every Child Matters Walk with Healing of the Seven Generations in Kitchener on September 30 at 10:00am

1 min read

Ways You Can Recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Kate Pearce : September 25, 2024

In response to the 94 Calls to Action by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the Government of Canada declared September 30 of each...

#Community Impact

1 min read

Recognizing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Kindred Credit Union : September 18, 2025

Each year as we seek to listen, learn, and grow relationships with Indigenous neighbours, we appreciate the importance of the National Day for Truth...

#Community Impact

1 min read

Ways to Listen, Learn, and Grow as We Recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Ian Thomas : September 14, 2022

Recognizing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation As we seek to listen, learn and grow relationships with Indigenous neighbours, we...

#Community Impact