National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2026
Every year on September 30, St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by learning about the histories of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and the Canadian government.
This year, the focus of learning was on our school’s land acknowledgement—both in words and as a physical marker of our school’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.
Staff and students gathered on the front lawn of the school, by the newly installed Land Acknowledgement Monument and Plaque.
“The outdoor assembly on September 30 involved senior students reading aloud the school’s land acknowledgement and piece by piece explaining each part of it—what it means and why we are saying it,” says Jacob Lang, SMCS science and biology teacher. “The assembly also included a teaching about the monument that contains the dodems of the signatory chiefs who signed Treaty 13 back in 1805.”
The location of the stone monument and plaque is symbolic, as they’re placed by the school’s original cornerstone on the front lawn facing Bathurst St.
“Even though the placement of the monument is symbolic, the land acknowledgement is not symbolic or performative,” says Lang, who is of the Métis Nation of Ontario under Barrie South Simcoe Métis Council. “It is and has to be intentional for it to matter. Reconciliation cannot happen unless the nation of Canada and its peoples truly see and recognize Indigenous Nations as sovereign.”
He adds, “It’s important for our students as well as our entire staff and faculty to know why our land acknowledgement matters. This can’t be a box to be checked. It is simply the right thing to do. Students need to be outside to see the stone, the acknowledgement, and to get a sense of place while listening and learning about our school’s land acknowledgement. Visually, the community and public need to see what we are doing and should take notice and perhaps be inspired to begin their own journey of truth and reconciliation that seeks allyship with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples of Turtle Island.”
In addition to the assembly, students have deepened their learning through the morning announcements in the week leading up to September 30. The topics ranged from treaties, including Treaty 13, the history of wampum diplomacy, who the Michi Saagiig (Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation) are and why the lands and waters are so important to all Indigenous Peoples, as well as the legacy of the Indian Residential School system and the origin of Orange Shirt Day.
Morning announcements also aimed to answer the question: ‘Why are we all treaty people?’
“Too often, people assume that treaties only matter to Indigenous communities. But an agreement always requires two parties. If you live, study, or work in Canada—whether you are Indigenous, a descendant of early settlers, or a newcomer who arrived just months ago—you are a treaty person,” says Lang. “Treaties and Wampums were always intended to last ‘as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the water flows.’ The school’s land acknowledgement and the monument that contains the dodem signatures of the signatory chiefs of Treaty 13—who were lied to by the government to obtain their lands—are our way to formally begin to uphold our end of that promise.”
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