2025

September 30 is a solemn day of remembrance and reflection. For many Canadians, the truths about the history and legacy of residential schools have only recently come to light.

As cider makers, we acknowledge that apples – and cider itself – were brought to Turtle Island by settlers alongside colonial systems that caused deep harm to Indigenous peoples. Our industry is connected to this history, and with that comes responsibility: to learn, to listen, and to contribute to reconciliation.

We honour the children who never returned home, the survivors who carry these truths, and the families and communities forever impacted.

Ways to Learn and Reflect

• Movies/Shows: Sugarcane, Bones of Crows, We Were Children, Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance
  
• Podcasts: Words & Culture, IndigiNews Podcast, Telling Our Twisted Histories, Unreserved
  
• Books: 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act (Bob Joseph), The Inconvenient Indian (Thomas King), Braiding Sweetgrass (Robin Wall Kimmerer), From Truth to Reconciliation (Aboriginal Healing Foundation), In My Own Moccasins (Helen Knott)
  

Ideas for Cideries

• Host a team learning session or book club using the above resources
• Showcase Indigenous art or music in your cidery space
• Include land acknowledgements in your communications
  Support Indigenous educators, performers, and knowledge keepers in your programming

Organizations to Support with Donations

If you or your cidery would like to take direct action, we encourage donations to organizations working with Indigenous peoples across Canada:

• Orange Shirt Society – Raising awareness of the impacts of residential schools
• National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation – Preserving history and supporting reconciliation education
• Legacy of Hope Foundation – Advancing healing and understanding of residential school history
• Indspire – Supporting Indigenous students through scholarships and bursaries
• First Nations Child & Family Caring Society – Promoting the well-being and rights of Indigenous children
  

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the traditional homelands of the many diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples across Canada. As settlers, we recognize that our work as cider makers is rooted not only in orchards across these lands, but also in a shared responsibility to support reconciliation.

On September 30, we commit to reflecting on this history and taking action toward a more just and respectful future.