National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day

Both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day take place on September 30.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.

HPCO is committed to supporting truth and reconciliation and to Indigenous Peoples achieving quality hospice palliative care in their communities. We do this by:

  • Advocating for equitable access to care for Indigenous Peoples.
  • Promoting cultural awareness of Indigenous health-care issues and the ongoing impact of colonisation.
  • Encouraging our members to engage with local Indigenous Peoples to recognize the value of Indigenous healing practises and use them in the treatment of Indigenous patients in collaboration with Indigenous healers and Elders when requested to do so by Indigenous patients.
  • Providing a bursary program for Indigenous health-care workers to attend the annual Hospice Palliative Care Ontario Conference. The bursary includes registration, accommodation and meals.
  • Providing a sacred space for prayers and smudging and ensuring Indigenous led content is integral to at the annual Hospice Palliative Care Ontario Conference.
  • Created a free online First Nations Caregiver Training program
  • Providing free access to the “Providing Culturally Safe Care with an Indigenous Lens” courses.
  • Compiled a list of resources for Indigenous & First Nations Peoples
  • Compiled a list of resources to Support Indigenous & First Nations Peoples

The team at HPCO have committed to their learning about the experiences of Indigenous People have dedicated time for this learning. The HPCO staff team will be taking time in the coming weeks to learn and reflect upon the history of Indigenous People in Canada, the impact of colonialism, the Truth and Reconciliation Report and its calls to action and reflect on what we can do as individuals to support the work of reconciliation.  We will each be attending events in our local communities and then will come together on Wed, October 9, 2024 to share and discuss our experiences.

Reconciliation is a journey that will take time. Strong allyship is essential and requires a long-term commitment from each and every one of us. Indigenous Peoples need your support year-round, not just on September 30th. HPCO will continue to look for ways to learn and better understand the needs of  Indigenous Peoples and we will continue to look inward towards self-improvement

What you can do:

  • Read the Truth and Reconciliations Report’s 94 Calls to Action and recognize your role in the work that needs to be done
  • Learn about Indigenous People in Canada
  • Contemplate and reflect on personal discomfort resulting from Canada’s actions
  • Learn how to properly acknowledge the land you live on. A great resources to identify the land that you are on is Whose Land
  • Create space for Indigenous Peoples to speak and trust Indigenous leaders
  • Support Indigenous business and buy authentic Indigenous arts and crafts

 To learn more about Indian Hospitals and their impacts to Indigenous health please visit these links:

 To learn more about Indian Residential Schools and their traumatic impact on Indigenous Peoples please visit these links:

 If you would like to donate in support the ongoing process of Truth and Reconciliation, consider one of these organizations:

You may also wish to donate to Hospice Palliative Care Ontario’s First Nation’s Bursary Fund which provides bursaries for health care workers from First Nations to attend the annual Hospice Palliative Care conference.

We encourage everyone to take active steps to learn more about First Nations in the areas where you live and work.

Learn More About First Nations In Ontario

Chiefs of Ontario – Understanding First Nations Sovereignty

Provincial Territorial Organizations in Ontario

 First Nations Websites

Find support

Exploring this information can be sites of trauma for Indigenous peoples. To find support:

  • National Indian Residential School Crisis Line 1-866-925-4419
  • Hope for Wellness Hotline 1-855-242-3310
  • Tsow-Tun Le Lum Society 1-888-403-3123
  • Indian Residential School Survivor Society (IRSSS) 1-800-721-0066