Every child matters. On September 30th, people across Canada wear orange and participate in Orange Shirt Day events to recognize and raise awareness about the history and legacies of the residential school system in Canada.
The Canadian government designated September 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, beginning in 2021. This responds to Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action 80, which states that the federal government will work with Indigenous people to establish a statutory day to “honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process”.
Orange Shirt Day originates from the story of Phyllis Webstad from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation. In 1973, on her first day at St. Joseph’s Residential School in Williams Lake, BC, Phyllis’s shiny new orange shirt was stripped from her, never to be seen again
Wear orange
Wearing orange is a way to show your support for Survivors and their families and acknowledge the legacy of residential schools.
Each year, the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre works with an Indigenous artist to create a unique Orange Shirt Day t-shirt design. This year’s shirts feature the work of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist Darryl Blyth.
Learn more about Darryl Blyth and how you can get your own orange shirt here
Pick up your orange shirt at the UBC Bookstore here
Namwayut: we are all one. Truth and reconciliation in Canada
Chief Robert Joseph shares his experience as a residential school survivor and the importance of truth and reconciliation in Canada.
