September 30, 2026
Today, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages honours Residential School Survivors, their families and communities, and recognizes the lasting impacts of Canada’s Residential School system. We remember the children who never returned home.
Residential schools were a tool of forced assimilation. Indigenous children were separated from their families, communities, cultures and languages, and many experienced abuse, neglect and death. Linguicide, the deliberate suppression and destruction of Indigenous languages, was central to this system. Children were prevented and often punished for speaking their languages, disrupting the transmission of language, culture, knowledge and ways of knowing between generations.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is grounded in truth: the truth of what Survivors experienced, the children who never returned home, and the lasting impacts of the residential school system on Indigenous Peoples, families and communities. Denying, minimizing or distorting these well-documented harms causes further harm to Survivors and communities and stands in direct opposition to the work of truth and reconciliation.
As we mark this day, we stand in solidarity with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc following the deeply concerning presence of individuals associated with white supremacist and white nationalist activity in their community. We stand alongside Survivors, Intergenerational Survivors, their families and the community as Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc continues to share the truth, honour the children and advance the work of accountability and reconciliation.
The truths shared by Survivors and communities helped shape the path toward reconciliation in Canada. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action 13, 14 and 15 called for the recognition of Indigenous language rights, legislation to preserve, revitalize and strengthen Indigenous languages, and the appointment of an Indigenous Languages Commissioner. These rights are also affirmed by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The establishment of the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages was a significant step for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples and an important milestone on the path to reconciliation. The Commission carries this responsibility forward by championing Indigenous-led approaches and supporting practical tools and research, including Pathways to Thriving: Community-Based Indigenous Language Planning and new research with Statistics Canada on urban language use and silent speakers.
Across the country, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, language champions, educators, families and youth continue to carry, reclaim and strengthen their languages. Indigenous Peoples are best positioned to lead this work, and the Commission will continue to centre Indigenous-led approaches as we work toward our shared vision of Indigenous languages in Canada that are safe, vibrant and thriving.
On September 30, we encourage everyone to listen to Survivors, learn from the truths they have shared, challenge the denial and distortion of residential school history, and support Indigenous Peoples and communities carrying their languages, cultures and knowledge forward.
Candice St-Aubin
Interim Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer
Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages