National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2025

September 30, 2025 is a day to remember the missing children and survivors of residential schools and their families and communities. This federal holiday is a response to the Truth and Reconciliation’s Call to Action #80. On this Indigenous-led day of recognition, the various retails that make up Prairie North Co-op are either closed, or operating on reduced hours; and staff who are working on this day have been encouraged to wear an orange shirt to honour residential school survivors, those who did not survive, and their descendants.

In the spirit of expanding our collective knowledge and learning, we have provided the following list of links to our team leaders, team members, members, customers, and community members.

READ:
Government of Canada - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (many links including mental health supports)
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html
Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2015/trc/IR4-7-2015-eng.pdf
Spirit Bear’s Guide to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action - Check out this child-friendly version of the Calls to Action. 
https://fncaringsociety.com/sites/default/files/38335_child_friendly_chrt_ctas_v7f.pdf
Learn more about the residential schools in Canada. 
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-schools
Whose Land is it Anyway? A Manual for Decolonization - Explore the challenges Indigenous communities face in achieving cultural and land rights recognition in Canada. 
https://fpse.ca/sites/default/files/news_files/Decolonization%20Handbook.pdf
The Hard Truth about Reconciliation - Canada Art.
https://canadianart.ca/features/the-hard-truth-about-reconciliation/
Residential School Timeline.
https://nctr.ca/exhibits/residential-school-timeline/

WATCH:
Bones of Crows (Movie based on true events) - Bones of Crows is a 2022 Canadian drama film, written, produced, and directed by Marie Clements. The film stars Grace Dove as Aline Spears, a Cree woman who survives the Indian residential school system to become a code talker for the Canadian Air Force during World War II. Free on CBC Gem.
https://gem.cbc.ca/bones-of-crows-film
Namwayut: We Are All One - Listen as Chief Robert Joseph shares his experience as a residential school survivor and the importance of truth and reconciliation in Canada.
https://youtu.be/2zuRQmwaREY?si=3yIXGe5_5keMz7zN
Phyllis Webstad - On Orange Shirt Day. 
https://youtu.be/EuW4WbekhxY?si=OkM1arb7OLGxU76R

LISTEN:
Wild West a poem about Truth Reconciliation by Cobra Collins.
https://www.kentofinglewood.com/blogs/news/wild-west-a-poem-about-truth-reconciliation-by-cobra-collins
Truth and Reconciliation Stamp Series – The Artists’ Vision.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aocjHlA3vyE

EXPLORE
The Witness Blanket.
https://witnessblanket.ca/
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report and 94 Calls to Action.
https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1524494530110/1557511412801?mc_cid=c23231bc7d&mc_eid=54b7d929c3

KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING
At Co-op, we celebrate our diversity and the unique perspectives everyone brings to the table. We owe it to each other to keep the conversation going.