Written by: Karen Spencer, Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada, Governance Consultant, board chair, and former child welfare nonprofit executive dedicated to strengthening organizations through effective leadership, governance, and community impact and Nasreen, Director of Communications, communications professional, writer, and former journalist dedicated to strengthening communities through storytelling, strategic communications, and a commitment to fostering dialogue, understanding, and positive social change.
The meaning of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Since 2021, Canada has commemorated the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a time to honour First Nations, Inuit and MĂ©tis residential school Survivors, their families and the children who never returned home. More than 150,000 Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families, homes, communities, and cultures and sent to live in residential schools whose purpose was to indoctrinate them into Euro-Christian culture (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015). Overcrowding, poor sanitation, neglect, and widespread tuberculosis were well documented but never acted upon.
Orange Shirt Day
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is also known as Orange Shirt Day, inspired by the story of Phyllis Webstad, a third-generation residential school survivor. Her grandmother and mother had each spent 10 years of their childhoods in residential schools. In 1973, at age six, Phyllis prepared to leave home to attend St. Joseph Mission Residential School near Williams Lake, B.C. Like many children starting school, she was excited. Her grandmother bought her a shiny new orange shirt to wear on her first day. When Phyllis arrived, the shirt was abruptly taken from her. No matter how much she cried, no one listened, and she never wore her orange shirt again.
The power of stories
As a mother, I found Phyllis’s story difficult to hear. I could not imagine the sorrow of having my six-year-old child taken from me. My heart ached for a little girl left alone to cry without the comfort of her mother’s hug. Phyllis’s story is one of many.
I believe that we all have an obligation to hear these stories and understand the harm residential schools caused to so many children. This is not the distant past: Canada’s last residential school closed in 1997. Stories are powerful tools for learning, deepening our understanding and helping us recognize the choices we can make to prevent harm from being repeated.
On June 1, 2008, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was established to hear the stories of residential school survivors, bringing national attention to a part of Canadian history that had long been ignored. Over six years, the Commission recorded more than 6,500 accounts from survivors and witnesses. This work led to the 94 Calls to Action, a roadmap for change and renewed relationships. You can learn about this important work through the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Truth and Reconciliation and the Work of Nonprofit Boards
I have reported to Boards as an Executive Director and led board governance work as Chair. Nonprofit Boards are in a unique position to ensure that history does not repeat itself.  Truth and reconciliation requires a shift in governance. It involves exploring what truth means for your sector and taking meaningful action.  For many Boards, this work will start with training board members to understand the history of residential schools and the lasting impact on the people you serve. September 30 is an important day to commemorate the lives of children harmed by residential schools, but the work cannot stop there. Boards have a responsibility to learn, reflect, and apply that understanding to their governance work.
A roadmap for change
Nonprofit Board directors are responsible for overseeing the systems of care their organizations provide. Although they are not involved in day-to-day operations, they must ensure the organization serves people well and addresses harm. That oversight requires Boards to look closely at their data, ask who benefits from existing programs and services, and act when the numbers reveal inequity.
Important questions a Board of Directors can ask include:
- Who are we serving?
- Is there anyone missing?
- Are some groups over-represented in our system?
- Are some groups under-represented in our system?
- Does our board’s composition reflect the community we serve?
When Indigenous children and families are overrepresented or underrepresented in an organization’s services, Boards have a responsibility to understand why and to take action. Examples of action could include the board directing a review of organizational data, directing the CEO to develop mechanisms to hear directly from Indigenous service participants, and establishing partnerships with Indigenous service providers.
A good first step for all Boards is to review the 94 Calls to Action. For example, the first 5 calls to action are directed to the child welfare sector; call to action 22 calls upon the health care system to recognize the value of Indigenous healing practices; and call to action 62 calls upon the education system to teach children about residential schools, Treaties, and Indigenous contributions.
Learning, Growing and Partnership
Boards have a responsibility to learn about Indigenous history in Canada, reflect on that knowledge and consider what it means for the communities they serve. Meaningful change requires Indigenous leadership, not simply representation. Inviting Indigenous directors to the board table is an important step, but Boards must also create an environment where they feel welcomed, respected, and able to contribute fully. This means valuing Indigenous culture, knowledge, and perspectives. Listen with openness, and ensure our Indigenous colleagues are not expected to carry the work of reconciliation alone.
Consultation is about building relationships, learning from one another, and reaching decisions together. While consultation is important, it is only a first step. True partnership is understanding that Indigenous people are experts in their own lives. For non-Indigenous leaders, it is critical to know when to take a step back and defer to the authority of Indigenous leaders and Elders. Only through true partnership will we find a successful path forward.
Living with Action
Wearing orange on September 30 is a powerful way to commemorate the lives of children and families impacted by residential schools in Canada. It is a powerful way to demonstrate your commitment to reconciliation, build relationships, and help repair harm. However, true reconciliation is not a one-day event. It is a lifelong journey. Nonprofit Boards are in a unique position to shape change, be accountable, and repair harm.
September 30 should move us beyond expressions of support toward lasting change by embedding Indigenous leadership, culture and ways of knowing in the institutions and systems we lead. As board directors, we can ensure that Indigenous culture, knowledge and traditions are embedded in the organizations we serve and reflected in our boardroom practices and governance discussions. Boards can move away from a culture of dominance and create a culture where all contributions are valued, respected, and seen as contributing positively to the greater good.
Written by:
Karen Spencer, Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada
email: [email protected]
Senior executive, board chair, and governance consultant with more than 25 years of progressive leadership across child welfare, community services, and the non-profit sector. A champion of child, parent, and community wellbeing, grounded in the belief that sustained investment in children and families is foundational to strong, resilient communities.
Her formal education includes: Master of Social Work (with Distinction) Wilfrid Laurier University; Bachelor of Arts, Social Development Studies (Distinguished Alumna) University of Waterloo; Certificate in Public Sector Leadership, Rotman School of Business.
Past Board Chair Renison University College, President of the Kitchener-Westmount Rotary Club, and member of International Women’s Forum.
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Nasreen, Director of Communications, Capacity Canada
email: [email protected]
Nasreen has more than six years of experience working as a journalist with media organizations and non-profits in Canada and India. She has worked as a writer, editor, and managed social media accounts for several non-profits in the past.
Nasreen’s work includes writing as a columnist for various newspapers, including The Daily Mail. She has also produced well-researched stories and news packages while working as an editor with national newspapers. A trained mediator, she recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Waterloo. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and a second Master’s degree in Political Science.