September 30 – Every Child Matters

Remember Me: A National Day of Remembrance on the Second National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Calling All Nations! Unite to Remember the Children,
Unite to Support Survivors and Empower the Next Generations.

Parliament Hill, Ottawa

Friday, September 30 — 8:30 am-12:00 pm
8:30 am – Eagle Feather Ceremony honouring residential school survivors
9:00 am – Speakers and children’s performances
Event will be livestreamed from 10:00 am
For details on the program and information on ways to participate click here.
Organized by: Indigenous Arts Collective of Canada

This national gathering memorializes the children that never came home from school and supports Indigenous children and families affected by the Indian Residential Schools and all Indigenous child apprehension programs. The day is led by children and youth.

On their website organizers say: “September 30th has now been coined by the federal government as, ‘National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.’ … We must ensure that this day remains to be a day of remembrance for Indigenous people and a day of education for Canadians and their children.”

The “Remember Me: A National Day of Remembrance” initiative was birthed immediately after the discovery of the unmarked grave of 215 Indigenous children at the Kamloops Residential School in British Columbia. As of May 2022 that number had risen to 2,406 found near 12 out of a total of 139 residential schools which existed across Canada, with more expected to be found at other schools.

Those attending the gathering in Ottawa are encouraged to bring little shoes in honour of the children who never came home and little gifts for the survivors of residential schools.