Days of Significance
What do we wear on September 30th? What is the meaning of these shirts?
Orange Shirt Day. Orange Shirt Day is a day to recognize the harm cause to Indigenous peoples from Residential Schools and the trauma people still live today.
What are the three groups of Indigenous Peoples in Canada?
Inuit, Metis and First Nations
What are the calls to action?
The National Center for Truth and Reconciliation said "the Calls to Action are an appeal to mobilize all levels of government, organizations, as well as individuals to make concrete changes in society".
Who were the first people in Canada?
The first people in Canada were Indigenous Peoples. It was actually Indigenous Peoples called Palaeo-Inuit.
Do all Indigenous people have the same story?
No
What is September 30? What is the meaning of this day?
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This holiday is to address the 94 Call to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It is also to recognize and honour the survivors, the communities and families of residential schools.
What does allies mean? What does accomplices mean?
According to Queen's University, "an ally disrupts oppressive spaces by educating others on the realities and histories of marginalized peoples. An accomplice works within a system and "directly challenges institutionalized/systemic racism, colonization, and white supremacy by blocking or impeding racist people, policies, or structures".
When were the call to actions released?
June 2,2015
What is the Indian Act?
The Indian act is a legislation in Canada that outline the relationship between the government and Indigenous Peoples.
What does settlers mean?
Settlers are people who have moved onto a piece of land that is not there's and have tried to take it over. An example is Canadians living on Indigenous lands.
What is November 4? What is the meaning of this day?
National day for Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirited and gender diverse people (MMIG2S). Its a day to reflect on people who have gone missing and what is happening in Indigenous communities.
What does allyship mean?
Allyship is an active and consistent practice of supporting Indigenous Peoples.
What are the five main categories of the change to action?
Child welfare, education, language and culture, health, justice.
When was the Indian Act introduced?
Why might all Indigenous Peoples have different stories?
All Indigenous Peoples have lived and gone through different forms of trauma. This could be personally or through generations. The community as a whole has had some very terrible things that have happened and they all feel and hear different versions of events that have taken place.
What is May 5th? What happens on this day?
Red Dress National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples (MMIWG2SLG). Many people across North America hang red dresses in private and public spaces to remember those who are missing and murdered.
What does kinship mean?
Queensland government refers to kinship as "relations reflect a complex and dynamic system and define where a person fits into their family and community. The value of the kinship system is that it structures people’s relationships, obligations and behaviours towards each other" (2025).
Why are the calls to action being completed so slowly?
The main reasons they are being completed slowly is lack of resources, government action and need for change. Many people do not know about these calls to action and not enough pressure is being put on the government to change.
What is colonialism?
Colonialism refers to the historical and ongoing processes through which Indigenous peoples are displaced, oppressed, and disconnected from their lands, cultures, and communities due to colonization.
Why do Indigenous People feel uneasy about the government?
The government has not been supportive towards Indigenous Peoples. Instead of the government listening to Indigenous Peoples and trying to help them work through everything that is happened in the past, they just try to automatically fix things that may be causing more harm.
What is June 21st? What is the meaning of this day?
National Indigenous People's day. It is a day for all Canadians to honor and celebrate the legacy, diverse cultures and exceptional contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Peoples.
Should you be a ally or accomplice to Indigenous Peoples?
You should always be an accomplice to Indigenous Peoples. You want to try and help change the system and not just try to cover up what has happened.
How many calls to action are completed since they were introduced?
Only 13 out of the 94 calls to action have been completed.
What is decolonization?
Decolonization refers to the undoing the effects of colonialism and restoring Indigenous worldviews.
How can we help Indigenous Peoples and be accomplices?
We need to listen and support Indigenous Peoples. This will be different for each person we communicate with. That is why it is so important to be active listeners and not just jump to conclusions on how we can help.