Kali J Desautels

🧡 Today is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

This is not just a day of reflection—it’s a day of reckoning.

The legacy of residential schools is not distant history. I was 13 years old when the last residential school in Canada closed its doors. That is not the past—it is the present. Survivors are still with us, still carrying the trauma, and families are still grieving the children who never came home.

Canadians should feel shame at the systemic racism, colonial violence, and deliberate cultural genocide that allowed this horror to continue for generations. This is not something that happened “a long time ago.” It is woven into our collective story, and it is on all of us to acknowledge it.

The Survivors’ Flag (shared here, not my artwork) was created to honour all Survivors, their families, and the memory of the children who never returned. It is a living reminder of the resilience and strength of Indigenous communities, even in the face of unimaginable harm.

Reconciliation isn’t about wearing orange one day a year. It’s about listening to Survivors, amplifying Indigenous voices, supporting Indigenous-led organizations, educating ourselves, and taking action against ongoing systemic racism and inequity.

Every child matters. Every single one. 🧡

#TruthAndReconciliation #NDTR #EveryChildMatters