2025 Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Commemoration

Find details and registration for all events here.

Honour the experiences of residential school survivors at a University-wide event to commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. Students, librarians, faculty members, and staff can register to attend this event in person or watch the live stream.

The commemoration will feature Carey Newman, whose traditional name is Hayalthkin’geme. Newman is a multi-disciplinary artist, carver, filmmaker, author, and public speaker.

Orange Shirt Day has been observed on September 30th annually for several years. In June 2021, the Federal Government passed legislation formally recognizing September 30th as the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.

The commemoration is hosted by the UTM, UTSC and institutional Offices of Indigenous Initiatives, First Nations House Indigenous Student Services, and Hart House, in the Great Hall at Hart House (7 Hart House Circle, Toronto) on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

Agenda

Commemoration

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., The Great Hall, 1st Floor, Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle

9:30 a.m. | Registration Opens

Light refreshments available in the Lower Gallery.

10:00 a.m. | Commemoration

Welcome:  David Kim, Warden, Hart House
Remarks:  Melanie A. Woodin, President, University of Toronto
Remarks:  Linda Johnston, Vice-President, University of Toronto, and Principal, University of Toronto Scarborough
Keynote Address: Reactive to Resurgent – My Journey of Making Art About Colonialism, Carey Newman, Artist and Master Carver, Impact Chair in Indigenous Art Practices, University of Victoria
Audience Q & A with Carey Newman
Closing Remarks:  David Kim, Warden, Hart House

11:30 a.m. | Commemoration Concludes

Overflow seating will be available in the East Common Room (ECR), on the 1st floor of Hart House.

Other ways to participate

Ceremonial Fire

10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Ziibiing, 1 Hart House Circle

10:00 a.m. | Fire Commences

First Nations House Indigenous Student Services will be supporting the commemoration at Hart House by hosting a ceremonial fire at Ziibiing.  Indigenous U of T Firekeeper trainee students will be on site to tend to the fire. Tobacco, Sage, Sweetgrass, Cedar, and smudge bowls will be available on site.  Indigenous students, staff, librarians, faculty members and Indigenous community members are welcome to join the fire and hold space for one another.

Limited seating will be available.

12:30 p.m. | Fire Concludes

Wear an Orange Shirt Day Shirt

All members of the U of T community are encouraged to wear an orange shirt on September 30 in the spirit of reconciliation. Doing so affirms that “Every Child Matters.” You can wear any orange shirt to show your solidarity.

In recognition of Orange Shirt Day 2025 and the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives has partnered with the U of T Bookstore on a limited supply of orange t-shirts.

The shirts feature an award-winning design by MJ Singleton, an Ojibwe, two-spirit student from Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation who is studying at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Their design, titled noojimo’iwe, emphasizes the importance of healing the intergenerational trauma of residential schooling by supporting and loving those around you. It portrays a mother holding hands and walking forward with her two children. Above them is a bright sun with contour lines connecting to a floral pattern and designs representing all living things.

All proceeds from the sale of these shirts will be directed to the Orange Shirt Society—no proceeds will go to the U of T Bookstore or the University of Toronto.

Participate Virtually in Orange Shirt Day

We also encourage all U of T community members to use the Orange Shirt Day virtual background and profile icon, featuring MJ Singleton’s design, the week of September 22-30.