On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel speaks with First Nations visual artist and public policy expert Lou-ann Neel by telephone from, as she says, "the lands of the Lekwungen, also known as Victoria, BC" for history and context of Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The 2025 observance is taking place on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

Ms. Neel talks about treaties, unceded lands and the destructive "residential schools" at the root of the observances taking place in across Canada on September 30 - which is also known as "Orange Shirt Day." According to the Canadian government, the day honors "the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities . . . [p]ublic commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process."

There is no similar observance in the United States, where similar residential schools were also in operation for decades.

Canada's official page for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html

Special thanks to John Mackie for his assistance with this episode.

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