On Sept. 30 each year, we observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day dedicated to recognizing the history and impact of Canada’s residential school system on Indigenous communities. All academic activity will be suspended on this federal statutory day to give space for staff, students, and faculty to participate in its observance.

Queen’s encourages the entire campus community to use this time to understand, reflect on, and help address the factors that brought about the residential school system and the ongoing oppression of Indigenous life, experience, and culture. The university is committed to supporting non-Indigenous students, staff, and faculty to learn about this legacy, and to providing resources that encourage and strengthen reconciliation efforts year-round. Educational resources are available on the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and Centre for Teaching and Learning websites.

Details and updates about 2024 activities will be posted on the Office of Indigenous Initiatives’ National Day for Truth and Reconciliation webpage throughout September.

The federal government established the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021. Its predecessor, Orange Shirt Day, which first began in 2013, was initiated by the St. Joseph Mission Residential School Commemoration Project and Reunion in Williams Lake, British Columbia.

Approved in April 2023, the Queen’s Policy on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation suspends academic activities, with exceptions for clinical placements, fieldwork, and work placements coordinated with external organizations. If September 30 falls on a weekend, academic activities will pause on the federal observance day.