September 11, 2025
By Natalie Batkis, APTN Communications Coordinator
On September 30, 2025, APTN will mark the fifth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) with a powerful day of special programming. This year’s NDTR lineup reflects APTN’s enduring commitment to honouring Survivors, amplifying Indigenous voices and fostering a national dialogue rooted in truth, healing and reconciliation.
Live Commemorative Gathering: Remembering the Children
At the heart of APTN’s NDTR programming is Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a 90-minute live national commemorative event co-produced by APTN, CBC/Radio-Canada and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, with support from Canadian Heritage. This multilingual event, presented in English, French and Plains Cree, will honour residential school Survivors and pay tribute to the children who never returned home.
- Live broadcast: Tuesday, September 30 at 3 p.m. ET on APTN (English) and APTN Languages (Plains Cree)
- Rebroadcasts in various languages:
- Livestream: Available via aptnnews.ca
- On demand: Watch on APTN lumi beginning October 2
Live News Coverage from Ottawa and Winnipeg
Leading up to the national broadcast, APTN National News will air a 30-minute live pre-show hosted by Creeson Agecoutay from Parliament Hill, offering exclusive coverage and updates. Meanwhile, in Winnipeg, Dennis Ward will host from the APTN studio alongside special guests to reflect on the day’s significance. A special episode of Face to Face will also be featured as part of the commemorative programming.
A Full Day of Impactful Programming
On NDTR, APTN will broadcast 24 hours of educational, emotional and thought-provoking programming that explores the legacy of residential schools and the ongoing journey toward reconciliation. Viewers are invited to watch, learn and reflect as we honour the past and envision a more just future. Watch on APTN and APTN Languages.
Premieres
- The Good Canadian
A sobering exposé of the ongoing genocide against Indigenous Peoples in Canada, told by those working on the frontlines of systemic injustice. - Twice Colonized
Follow Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter as she seeks justice in both Canada and Denmark while confronting personal and intergenerational trauma. - Spirit to Soar
A continuation of Seven Fallen Feathers, this film shares the stories of Survivors of St. Anne’s Residential School in Ontario.
Feature Presentations
- Bones of Crows
Unfolding over 100 years, Bones of Crows is a story of resilience and strength told through the eyes of Cree matriarch Aline Spears, who survives a childhood in residential school to continue her family’s generational fight against systemic racism and abuse. - Coming Home (Wanna Icipus Kupi)
Directed by Erica Daniels, Coming Home (Wanna Icipus Kupi) reveals the impacts of the Sixties Scoop and explores Indigenous resilience through narrative sovereignty as lived by the Little Bird series’ Indigenous creatives, cast, crew and community members. - Inconvenient Indian
Based on Thomas King’s influential work, this documentary deconstructs colonial myths and centres Indigenous resistance and truth. - Indian Horse
After being taken from his family and forced into residential school, a young Ojibway boy finds purpose in hockey and confronts the trauma that shaped him. - Muffins for Granny
Filmmaker Nadia McLaren interweaves family memories and interviews with Elders to explore the impact of the residential school system on her grandmother’s life. - Night Raiders
The year is 2043. A military occupation controls cities in post-war North America and children are property of the state. A desperate Cree woman joins an underground band of vigilantes to infiltrate a state-run children’s academy to get her daughter back. - Pour toi, Flora
Pour toi, Flora portrays the inherent resilience of two Anishinaabe siblings who endured their childhood in a Quebec residential school. The series explores their present-day challenges as they grapple with the lingering effects of their past. - Reconciliation & Me
Host Sarain Fox joins five youth allies in a powerful conversation about truth, justice and hope. - Waapake (Tomorrow)
Directed by Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin, this powerful documentary explores the silence, truth and strength of residential school Survivors. - We Were Children
A moving dramatization of the real-life experiences of Lyna Hart and Glen Anaquod, who endured horrific abuse in residential schools
How to Commemorate NDTR: Beyond September 30
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is more than a single day, it’s a call to ongoing action, education and solidarity. Here are some ways to deepen your commitment:
- Learn the truth: Engage with documentaries, books and Survivors’ stories to better understand the legacy of residential schools.
- Support Indigenous voices: Share Indigenous stories, art, journalism and activism.
- Be an active ally: Challenge racism, uphold Indigenous rights and support Indigenous-led initiatives and media.
- Walk the path year-round: Reconciliation is a daily practice rooted in respect, humility and truth.
Explore more ways to engage with our fact sheet and allyship feature.
APTN invites all Canadians to watch, listen and reflect on September 30 and to continue honouring the stories and strength of Indigenous Peoples every day.