Truth and Reconciliation
Truth and
Reconciliation Days
Sept. 28-30, 2026
For 2026, ULethbridge commemorates Sept. 28 to 30 as Truth and Reconciliation Days with events and activities open to everyone.
On September 30, the University of Lethbridge (Iniskim) recognizes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day provides members of our community time and space to reflect on the multigenerational impacts and traumas of residential schools on Indigenous Peoples.
Truth and
Reconciliation Days
Sept. 28-30, 2026
For 2026, ULethbridge commemorates Sept. 28 to 30 as Truth and Reconciliation Days with events and activities open to everyone. On September 30, the University of Lethbridge (Iniskim) recognizes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day provides members of our community time and space to reflect on the multigenerational impacts and traumas of residential schools on Indigenous Peoples.
View Events Schedule Orange Shirt Day Get support
Welcome & Sweetgrass on Coals Ceremony
11 a.m.
UHall Atrium
Join Niinaisipistoo (Owl Chief) Dr. Francis First Charger for a welcome and blessing to kick off ULethbridge Truth and Reconciliation Days.
Orange Shirt Day Group Photo
11:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Meet in UHall Atrium, photo on South Patio outside W650
Wear your orange shirt on Monday Sept. 28 to commemorate National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day and join us for a campus group photo on the south patio adjacent to the Iikaisskini Gathering Centre. Everyone is welcome.
Iikaisskini Indigenous Services Welcome Back BBQ
12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
W650, Iikaisskini Gathering Centre
Join Iikaisskini Indigenous Services for a welcome BBQ for new and returning ULethbridge students to kick off the Fall semester. Come learn about the Iikaisskini Indigenous Services team and supports and meet Naato’saaki (Sunwoman) Annette Fox-BruisedHead (Bsc' 00 MEd' 10), ULethbridge Vice-Provost, Iniskim Indigenous Relations.
Orange Rock Painting
1 p.m. - 3p.m.
W650, Iikaisskini Gathering Centre
Join Iikaisskini Indigenous Services for a drop-in event where you can paint orange rock or leave messages on orange paper that will be displayed.
All supplies are provided and everyone is welcome.
Light refreshments provided.
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026
Facepainting with Elders
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A430, Elders and Ceremonial Room
Elders in Residence Niinaisipistoo (Owl Chief) Dr. Francis First Charger and Staah’tsi’naims’skaa’ki (Thunder Pipe Woman Under the Sky)
Cathy Hunt are providing face painting along with support and guidance by Elder Shirlee Crow Shoe.
In Blackfoot culture, face painting carries profound meaning. It is a sacred practice used for protection, spiritual connection and to honour important achievements and ceremonies.
*Please note there's a proper dress code according to Blackfoot ways for this event. Learn more about the protocols.
A'tsimaani Feather Story
12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Iikaisskini Gathering Centre, W650
A’tsimaani Blackfoot Language will host this session with Elder Sylvia Russell adn Devena First Rider as part of Truth and Reconciliation Days. Making your feather is having a dialogue with your creative self and it’s an opportunity to express yourself through symbols and characters.
Lunch will be provided.
Attachment Hearts Traditional Medicine Drop-In Workshop
12 - 2:30 p.m.
Agility Zone SA6304
Join the Faculty of Health Sciences for a meaningful, hands-on Orange Shirt Day drop-in workshop focused on connection, kinship, and the relationships that help support wellness. Participants will learn about the significance of attachment hearts and create their own heart using fabric and traditional medicine. The workshop offers an opportunity to reflect on the people, family, caregivers, and communities we are connected to, while learning about the role of traditional medicines in comfort, healing, and holistic wellness.
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
ULethbridge Campus Closed
In order to provide space and time for reflection, there will be no classes and University offices will be closed on Sept. 30. The University’s decision to observe this day is consistent with the University’s commitment to Indigenization, and specifically the Truth and Reconciliation process.
Today, and every day, take some time to learn and reflect on how each of us, as individuals, will address and answer the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action. We all have a role to play in proactively learning Canada's history and working toward meaningful reconciliation.
What is Orange Shirt Day?
Orange Shirt Day marks an important part of Canada’s history, but also a pivotal part of its future. Observed on September 30 each year, it marks the day that Indigenous children were taken from their homes and placed into residential school. It was a day to honour the students who didn’t return home.
Orange Shirt Day recognizes an important moment in history and will help determine our journey ahead toward reconciliation. It is a day for healing and remembering; and a day to listen, learn and honour the survivors and the ones who did not make it home.
Orange Shirt Day started in 2013 and was inspired by Phyllis Webstad, a residential school survivor, from the Canoe Creek Indian Band in British Columbia who attended the St. Joseph's Mission residential school, after sharing her story in an awareness campaign. Phyllis' emotional story begins with her first day attending residential school at six years old. She remembers the new orange shirt her grandmother bought her, which was abruptly taken and permanently replaced with a school uniform. Her story highlights loss and assimilation while in residential school and provides the symbolism of resiliency and reaffirmation of importance through the "Every Child Matters" orange t-shirt movement today.
The first step to honouring is acknowledging our past. We need to listen to the stories from our Indigenous knowledge keepers, learn and educate ourselves, and open spaces for conversations to support each other through this emotional time.
Truth and reconciliation starts with truth and leads to intentional meaningful action. Learn about our Indigenous communities. Talk about Indigenous history at home, at school and at work. Help build supportive, inclusive, and equitable spaces where everyone feels they belong. Volunteer and donate to initiatives that elevate the voices of our Indigenous communities. Call out racism and injustices when you see it occurring.
The most important part of the process is understanding that you will make mistakes. What truly matters is apologizing authentically and making every effort to learn and unlearn, as you do your part to move towards reconciliation and healing.
Orange Shirts at Bookstore
A portion of the sales will be donated to Iikaisskini Indigenous Services for activities to support reconciliation and Indigenous student initiatives.
ULethbridge unveiled Orange Shirt Day Design in 2021
Blackfoot artist and Indigenous Fine Arts graduate Niitsiitaakii (The Only Woman), Chataya Holy Singer was commissioned in 2021 by the City of Lethbridge and ULethbridge to design a graphic for Orange Shirt Day. The design features First Nation, Métis and Inuit symbolism and can be interpreted in various ways with each symbol conveying its own message. Join us in wearing your Orange Shirt to show your support for survivors and their families. |
Get Support
By honouring Indigenous residential school survivors, their families, and communities on National Truth and Reconciliation Day, some individuals may experience a series of reactions, including renewed trauma, grief, and anger. There are resources available through the University, and within the community for students and employees to access support.
The following supports are available for Indigenous students and staff:
- ULethbridge Counselling Department, as an important mental health resource for our students. Santanita Oka, Indigenous Mental Health Outreach Worker, is available for support in Iikaisskini Indigenous Services.
- NIHB AB Region’s telephone, which provides free counselling for all Status Indigenous Peoples: 1-800-232-7301.
- IRS RHSP AB Region’s telephone: 1-888-495-6588. This is a great resource for anyone wishing to access mental health support for anyone who has been directly or indirectly impacted by the Indian Residential School system.
**Non-insured health benefits will cover the cost for counselling.
Other community resources include:
Resources
Employees can access support through the University’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), provided by GreenShield. GreenShield has partnered with Noojimo, the first and only all-Indigenous virtual mental wellness clinic, to support the wellness needs of Indigenous Peoples (First Nation, Inuit, and Métis) across Canada.
As a trusted Indigenous-owned company, Noojimo collaborates closely with partners to eliminate access barriers to culturally safe care. With relationships to more than 150 Indigenous communities, individuals have access to their services in rural, remote, and urban communities across Canada.
Noojimo’s programs honour and incorporate traditional Indigenous pathways of care through a digital platform, highlighting the ongoing innovation and inner strength of Indigenous Peoples.
For more information on how to access services through GreenShield, please visit the HR Hub | EAP to learn how to get started.
The University of Lethbridge acknowledges and deeply appreciates the Siksikaitsitapi Peoples’ connection to their territory. We, as people living and benefiting from Blackfoot Confederacy territory, honour the traditions of people who have cared for this land since time immemorial. We recognize the diverse population of Indigenous Peoples who attend the University of Lethbridge and the contributions all Indigenous Peoples have made in shaping and strengthening the University community in the past, present and in the future.
