Saturday will mark three years since the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was formally recognized as a federal holiday in Canada.
Sept. 30 is a day designated for Canadians to honour Indigenous children lost to the country’s residential school system and a time to acknowledge the profound impacts that are still felt to this day.
The day remembers not only the victims but also the resilience, strength and history of survivors.
While it is still not recognized as a statutory holiday in Quebec like it is in several other provinces and territories, events will still be held across Montreal.
The second edition of the Every Child Matters: A Day of Action for Truth and Reconciliation march organized by Resilience Montreal, the Native Women’s Shelter and the POP Montreal festival will take place in the afternoon.
“In honour of the children discovered in mass graves, residential school survivors and their families, we invite all community members, organizations, and students to join us and learn from our powerful speakers,” organizers said.
The event will be hosted by Indigenous community organizers Na’kuset and Ann Deer with other Indigenous leaders, and encourages participants to wear an orange shirt.
“Bring your drums, posters and water,” Na’kuset wrote on X, previously known as Twitter. “It’s going to be a beautiful day.”
The march’s gathering point will be at the George-Etienne-Cartier statue on Mont-Royal at 1 p.m.
Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts (MBAM) will also commemorate the day. A literary text by Innu poet Maya Cousineau Mollen set to music by Anishinaabe composer Barbara Assiginaak will be performed by Innu soprano Elisabeth St-Gelais at three times: at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
This event is free and does not require a reservation. Admission to the museum will also be free.
Other events will be held at universities, cultural venues and museums across the city. Visit local websites to find out more.
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