Observe the Day of Remembrance 2026

September 30 is the Canadian-US Day of Remembrance for all who were harmed by Indian Boarding Schools. We invite you to take time in collective worship or individual meditation to honor and remember survivors, their families, and the children who never made it home. We invite you to acknowledge the ongoing impacts of Indian Boarding School policies on Indigenous communities and all of us. Here is a link to prayers.

You can also take other actions. Contact Tribes near you to find out if there is an observance in your region which you can attend. Ask your municipality to declare a resolution in observance of the Day of Remembrance. Watch the 5-minute video Healing Voices of those who had attended Indian Boarding Schools (https://boardingschoolhealing.org/healing-voices- movement/)

Wear an orange shirt. September 30 is alternatively known as Orange Shirt Day, based on the experience of former student Phyllis (Jack) Webstad. The six-year old had a bright orange shirt given by her grandmother, which was taken away on her first day at residential school. This story has come to represent how the system tried to strip away Native identity and culture. Find more ideas in the NABS toolkit.