How to Commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

This year marks five years of officially commemorating National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) as a nation. NDTR serves as part of the reconciliation process to publicly acknowledge the history and ongoing impacts of residential schools and honour survivors and those who did not return. 

For non-Indigenous people, NDTR is an opportunity to learn about our shared history, honour the healing journey of residential school survivors and be part of the efforts to transform society into one that is just and fair for all. 

Indigenous culture is filled with joy, humour, colour, art and tradition. So, while NDTR commemorates a difficult and traumatic history, it is also an opportunity to better understand and experience the beautiful, rich and diverse cultures, voices and experiences of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.  

What to expect from Werklund Centre’s NDTR event

For 2025, Werklund Centre (formerly Arts Commons) is proud to offer an entire day of free activities – all Indigenous-led – on September 30.

The day begins at 11 a.m. with an Indigenous Makers Market, featuring artists and artisans from around Treaty 7, and a midday mini pow wow showcase. Gallery tours and artists talks take place at 12 p.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. — registration is required. 

New this year, Werklund Centre is excited to feature Ghost River Theatre’s Echoes of the Land – a transcendent auditory journey rooted in the spirit and rhythms of the land. To cap off the day, the centre will once again host the Elders Story Project (ESP), run by the Elders Knowledge Circle Society (EKCS). 

EKCS was officially established in June 2022 to create a centralized resource for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and involves a group of 30+ Elders and Knowledge Keepers who are survivors or family members of survivors of residential schools. The ESP supports the healing of survivors, bringing the truth to light for non-Indigenous peoples, and helps Indigenous youth move beyond their intergenerational trauma. 

A new take on the Elders Story Project

Werklund Centre has supported the ESP for the past three years. This year, the Elders are changing the format and inviting the audience to participate in a sacred ceremony.  

The first half of the event will involve a tea dance, pipe ceremony and the honouring of a special guest in a Blackfoot naming ceremony.  After a brief intermission, the second half of the program will be an honouring of the Elders of the EKCS. The event will end with a round dance that the entire audience can partake in.  

September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day, a day intended to raise awareness of the intergenerational impacts of residential schools and the thousands of Indigenous children sent to them. Wearing an orange shirt on September 30 is a great way to show your support — a simple act of solidarity and respect that unites us in positive change.

Learn more and secure your seat at werklundcentre.ca/NDTR.

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