09/30/2026
Reposted from Indigenous Midwifery - Association of Ontario Midwives September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The AOM recognizes the continual intergenerational impacts that colonial violence has had on First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, by the development of unethical policy and creation of institutions such as residential schools. Today, we stand with the families who mourn those that never came home, uphold the survivors and strive towards reconciliation by maintaining our efforts to promote generational healing.
Bringing birth home is central to conciliative action in health care. It means returning pregnancy, birth and early parenting care to Indigenous communities, ending the harmful practice of evacuating low-risk pregnant people to give birth far from home, and supporting self-determination across the perinatal journey.
For those living outside that reality, we devote September 30 to set aside time for reflection, education and action. Please consider engaging with the following resources (links in bio):
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: 94 Calls to Action (PDF)
• Phyllis Webstad’s story and the origins of Orange Shirt Day
• Orange Shirt Society resources, guides and videos
• Assembly of First Nations education toolkit, residential schools module
• Chiefs of Ontario residential school information and resources
• Woodland Cultural Centre, where the former Mohawk Institute is now open as an Interpretive Historic Site
• Find your local friendship centre through the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres
Support is available to Survivors and their tamilies through the National Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419, 24 hours a day.
