Orange Shirt Day & National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Above image: Robina Thomas speaks at a podium during the Orange Shirt Day event in 2025 at the University of Victoria.
UVic pledges to uphold ʔetalnəw̓əl̓ | ÁTOL,NEUEL | respecting the rights of one another and being in right relationship with all things. We're working to foster truth, respect and mutual understanding with all Indigenous peoples and communities.
What is Orange Shirt Day?
Orange Shirt Day is a national movement in Canada that takes place on September 30. In this annual event, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people come together in the spirit of hope and reconciliation to honour former residential-school students, their families and communities.
The day is inspired by survivor Phyllis Webstad, who had her new orange shirt taken from her on her first day at residential school—a moment that has come to symbolize the stripping away of identity, culture and dignity experienced by so many Indigenous children.
The residential-school era began in the early 1870s, with the last school closing in 1996. More than 150,000 Indigenous, Métis and Inuit children attended these schools. There are an estimated 80,000 survivors living today.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
September 30 is also a federal statutory holiday created to honour Residential School Survivors, their families, and communities, and to recognize the enduring impacts of Canada’s residential school system. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day are both observed annually on September 30.
This year, UVic will observe both days on Tuesday, Sept. 29, providing an opportunity to reflect, learn, and acknowledge the ongoing journey toward reconciliation.
UVic event details
UVic will host a campus-wide event on Tuesday, Sept. 29, inviting all faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members to gather for reflection and learning. The university will be closed on September 30, 2026, in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Additional events
Events are also being held across campus and in the community leading up to, during and following National Truth and Reconciliation Week. Some of the events include:
- Territorial Acknowledgement Workshop - Sept. 10, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
- Pathways to Reconciliation - Sept. 15, 10:30 to 11:30 am
- REDress Calls for Justice workshop - Sept. 22, 9:30 to 10:30 am
- UNDRIP, UNDA & DRIPA: Human Rights Legislation - Sept. 24, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
- The Lesser Blessed: Film Screening and Q&A - Sept. 25, 6:30 to 9 pm
- Nanaay Gyaatl’l dii ga – “Grandmother is Sewing”: Stitching Together Reclamation and Reconciliation - Sept. 28, noon to 2 pm
- South Island Powwow - Sept. 30, grand entry at noon
For more resources and event details, visit uvic.ca/event/orange-shirt-day.
Resources and support
Wearing an orange shirt on Sept. 29 and 30 is a powerful way to honour survivors and raise awareness.
Orange shirts are available at the UVic Bookstore, with 100% of the proceeds supporting:
- the Witness Blanket Project
- the Orange Shirt Society
- ITOTELNE TEL ṮE: Learning From One Another (UVic’s Elders Engagement Fund).
You can also support reconciliation by learning about the history and ongoing impacts of residential schools, reviewing the 94 Calls to Action, and reflecting on the meaning of Orange Shirt Day and its place in reconciliation—see UVic’s Indigenous Plan.
- Posted September 10, 2026