National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Sept. 30, 2026
Free
English:
- 9 am to 5 pm
French:
- 9 am to 5 pm
September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. This day recognizes the legacy of residential schools and honours the victims and Survivors of residential schools, their families, and their communities.
To mark this important day, the Canadian Museum of History is offering a series of activities and events that invite the public to reflect, learn and commemorate. These are outlined below.
Part of the role of the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum is to share stories and provide opportunities to learn more about lesser-known parts of our history. We are collaborating with Indigenous communities and Survivors to revise the information on residential schools and Indigenous histories in our exhibitions and programs to ensure they reflect the evolving situation and centre the experiences of Survivors. This important work continues.
MUSEUM ACCESS ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
The Museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm, with free admission all day.
Don’t forget to reserve your ticket in advance.
9 am to 5 pm
150 Years of the Indian Act
Explore the 150-year history of the Indian Act, from its origins to its continuing impact on First Nations governance, lands and cultures. Visit three engaging installations where art, storytelling, multimedia installations, and hands-on experiences invite you to reflect on truth, celebrate resilience, and inspire reconciliACTION.
Presented in collaboration with Mãdahòkì Farm, home of Indigenous experiences and events.
Credit: Tracey Lynn
Time: 9 am to 5 pm
Location: Haida Gwaii Salon
Fees and booking information: Free
9:30 am to 5 pm
Indigenous Stories on Screen
Presented in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, this selection of 10 Indigenous-made National Film Board of Canada (NFB) short documentaries shares powerful stories, perspectives, and lived experiences.
Shown in both English and French, the films will be screened throughout the day.
This screening is presented in collaboration with the NFB, which is Canada’s only public producer and distributor of Canadian documentaries and animated films.
Discover the featured films:
Sisters & Brothers
Red Path
Etlinisigu’niet (Bleed Down)
Mobilize
Arctic Song
Holy Angels
Richard Cardinal: Cry from a Dairy of Métis Child
The Amendment
Feather Fall
Pigon Nisiet (Mi’kmaq Subtitled Version)
Time: 9:30 am to 5 pm
Location: Canadian History Research Centre
Fees and booking information: Free
10 am
Morning ceremony – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Be part of a meaningful morning ceremony in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The ceremony will begin with a traditional prayer and smudging, grounding the event in respect and intention. Visitors will hear reflections on the significance of the Indian Residential School Memorial Monument and the ongoing journey of truth and reconciliation. A moving cultural performance featuring Indigenous dancers and drummers will follow.
The ceremony will also include a powerful testimonial from an Elder from Bkejwanong First Nation who attended an Indian Day School and was later separated from his family during the Sixties Scoop.
The ceremony will close with a prayer and song, honouring the strength and legacy of the children who never returned home and those who survived.
Jade, Stanley C. Hunt’s granddaughter, with the Monument.
Image courtesy of Nicole Hunt.
Time: 10 am
Location: Four Seasons Salon, home to the Indian Residential School Memorial Monument — a space that calls us to bear witness.
Fees and booking information: Free. Seating in the Four Seasons Salon is limited. Visitors who wish to attend must pick up a free ticket at the information table in the Grand Hall, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Live Broadcast Viewing: Grand Hall, Museum website and social media channels
Morning ceremony and Livestream
Please return to this page on September 30 at 10 am (EDT) to view a livestream of the meaningful morning ceremony in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, at the Canadian Museum of History.
11 am to 3 pm
Sacred Fire for Truth and Reconciliation
On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, all are welcome to visit the Indigenous Medicine Garden for a Sacred Fire. Traditional medicines will be available for offerings.
Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have used fires for ceremony, healing and gathering. This Sacred Fire will honour the children who attended residential schools, support Survivors, remember those who never returned home, and acknowledge the ongoing impacts of intergenerational and systemic harms.
Please note that the Medicine Garden is intended to be a quiet place for reflection. We ask all visitors to respect the space, keep noise to a minimum, and refrain from taking photos or videos.
Indigenous Medicine Garden
Time: 11 am to 3 pm
Location: Exterior, in the Indigenous Medicine Garden
Fees and booking information: Free
12 pm
Live broadcast – Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Gather for the live broadcast of Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, streamed from Parliament Hill. This national ceremony honours the children lost to the residential school system and the Survivors who carry their stories forward. All are welcome to witness, reflect, and stand together in remembrance.
Time: 12 pm
Location: Theatre (English) and Canadian History Research Centre (French)
Fees and booking information: Free
Exhibitions to visit
The Museum is one of the many places you can visit to learn more about — and be unsettled by — the history and impact of residential schools in Canada.
We strongly recommend that you start your visit in the residential schools section of the Canadian History Hall.
Visitors are also invited to learn more through the histories, voices and artworks presented in the Grand Hall and the First Peoples Hall.
Ongoing exhibition
The Canadian History Hall
Featuring countless stories and thousands of amazing objects, this signature exhibition offers an engaging and
Ongoing exhibition
Grand Hall
Offering spectacular panoramic views of the Ottawa River and Parliament Hill, the Museum’s Grand Hall
Ongoing exhibition
First Peoples Hall
This engaging and thought-provoking space shares the stories of First Nations, Inuit and Métis in
Mental health supports available
A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line provides emotional support and crisis referral services for former residential school students and their families. These services are available free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 1-866-925-4419.
Indigenous people across Canada can also access the Hope for Wellness Helpline. Call the toll-free helpline at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat (please use Google Chrome).
