This year, Canadians from coast to coast will reflect on the lasting impacts of residential schools and Indian day schools on the fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Officially falling on Saturday, September 30, Trent University will observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Friday, September 29 in Durham, and on Monday, October 2 in Peterborough to enable the campus community to fully participate in the programming and to ensure staff are available to provide support. 

“National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day to acknowledge the hard truths of Canada’s colonial past. Residential schools and day schools were tools of assimilation, meant to erase Indigenous cultures, languages and communities,” said Dr. Dawn Lavell-Harvard, director, First Peoples House of Learning at Trent University. “Sitting with hard truths and considering the lasting impacts of past decisions is a necessary part of the reconciliation process. Coming together through ceremony and conversation, we can all take an active part in building a better future.” 

Trent University is hosting several in-person events, paired with online resources designed to support learning and reflection, while encouraging members of the Trent community to take action on reconciliation. A full schedule of events is available online: trentu.ca/truthandreconciliationday.  

“As a university committed to reconciliation, it is important we observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a community, where students and employees can come together to learn and unlearn, and reflect on the truths of our past, and the opportunities that lie ahead,” said Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor, Trent University. 

We Wear Orange

National Truth and Reconciliation Day has grown from Orange Shirt Day. Orange Shirt Day was a grass-roots movement and a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake, BC, in the spring of 2013. It was sparked by the account of a young girl, Phyllis, having her new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission. On September 30, we wear orange to remember the experiences of the children taken to residential schools. 

The Trent Central Student Association and the Trent Durham Student Association will be selling orange shirts bearing a design by local Ojibwe artist Misokomin Kwe (Sabrina Fontaine). 

Resources to Support Learning  

To support teachers in the Ontario school system, and Trent faculty, the Trent School of Education and the Centre for Teaching and Learning have developed online resources to facilitate in-class conversations about Truth and Reconciliation Day. Trent’s Bata Library has curated a comprehensive reading list incorporating critical academic pieces, and other helpful works, available through the library’s collection. 

The University has also created video resources about participating in a smudge and a sacred fire, along with the purpose and importance of land acknowledgements. These are available through the First Peoples House of Learning website.  

Recognizing Truth & Reconciliation during Head of the Trent  

This year, Head of the Trent overlaps with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The Head of the Trent Regatta is part of a North American rowing series and is scheduled the weekend before Thanksgiving. Trent Excalibur varsity athletes will be wearing orange warm up jerseys, and a moment of silence will be held on the field before the first game begins. Orange lapel pins will be available for attendees at the Peterborough Rowing Club, at the Alumni Welcome Tent on Bata Podium, and at the entrance to the Justin Chiu Stadium. The University’s flag will also be flown at half-mast.   

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Schedule  

Activities and observances will be held at both the Durham Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Peterborough campuses, and include:  

Durham GTA Campus

• Community Sacred Fire
  Friday, September 29
  12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 
  Durham Campus Tipi, Building A 

Peterborough Campus

• Sunrise Ceremony  
  Monday, October 2
  6:30 a.m. 
  Mindoowag Akiin Traditional Area
   
• Community Sacred Fire  
  Monday, October 2
  12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. 
  Champlain College Fire Pit
   
• Campus Reflection & Moment of Silence
  Monday, October 2
  2:00 p.m. 
  Champlain College Fire Pit 

For a full list of activities, please visit trentu.ca/truthandreconciliationday. 
 
Community Observances  

Members of the Trent community are encouraged to participate respectfully in community-led observances for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. A national commemorative gathering will be broadcast live from Parliament Hill on September 30, 2023. Those interested in viewing are asked to check local listings for viewing information.