09/30/2026
Today is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.
We honour the Survivors of residential schools, remember the children who never returned home, and stand with the families and communities who continue to carry that loss.
At KIP Canada, we see every day how separation from a parent and from family can shape a child's life. The residential school system deliberately separated generations of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children from their families, cultures and languages, and its effects are still felt today.
One of those effects is the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in Canada's justice system. Indigenous people make up about 5% of Canada's population but roughly a third of people in federal prisons, which means many Indigenous children are also growing up with a parent behind bars. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for this overrepresentation to be eliminated within a decade. That decade has now passed.
Reconciliation asks each of us to listen, to learn, and to act. We invite you to take time today to learn about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action and to support Indigenous-led organizations in your community.
If today brings up difficult feelings, support is available:
• National Indian Residential School Crisis Line (24/7): 1-866-925-4419
• Hope for Wellness Help Line (all Indigenous people in Canada): 1-855-242-3310 or hopeforwellness.ca
Every child matters.
