Orange Shirt Day

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

September 30th is Orange Shirt Day in Canada, a day set aside to remember the experiences and loss of the thousands of children who were stolen from their families and placed in Indian Residential Schools. It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind.

Why orange shirts? Orange Shirt Day grew out of Phyllis Webstad’s story of having her new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually. You can read Phyllis’ story at orangeshirtday.org

Why September 30th? The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools, and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.

From Shana Dion, Assistant Dean, First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Students of the University of Alberta:
“Autumn can be the saddest time for so many survivors because the changing of the leaves means that they were not going to see their families for a very long time (a full school year), or sadly never see their families again. Most of us now can hardly leave our little ones in daycare or school for a day, never mind a whole year of wondering ‘how they are doing?’, ‘are they happy?’, ‘are they having a good day?’, ‘has anyone hurt them?’, or ‘are they sick or in pain?’. For the most part there was little to no communication between children sent to Indian Residential School and their families; can you imagine?

“Imagine being taken away from your parents at the age of five. Being given a number instead of a name. Being punished for speaking the only language you know. Being cut off from your family. Imagine being a parent, and being threatened with jail if you didn’t give up your children. Imagine being cut off from your children for ten years! What would it do to your family?

“I wear my orange shirt to honour inter-generational survivors. I honour their pain and peace. I honour their love and sorrow. I honour their brokenness and resilience. I honour their grit and grace. I honour their shame and pride. I honour their loneliness and lovability. I honour their sadness and humor. We are the sum of many parts all to be honored equally.”

I shared this today to raise awareness on a topic I knew little about until I immersed myself in the ongoing Indigenous Canada course offered by the University of Alberta. As a non-indigenous person, it isn’t enough to empathize with the Indigenous or to acknowledge my country’s shameful colonial past in this area. It isn’t enough to understand the intergenerational trauma that the residential school system has caused, with all its ramifications, or to say I’m not a racist. Rather, I am an ally and an anti-racist, which involves action. This is one small step in that direction. – JKP

Sources: University of Alberta Native Studies; orangeshirtday.org

22 thoughts on “Orange Shirt Day”

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  6. We should be doing a similar thing in the US for all the residential schools the “Indians” were forced in to to teach them to be “good citizens.” But right now the emphasis seems to be on locking kids who aren’t enough “like us” in cages down by the Rio Grande.

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  8. I didn’t know about Indian Residential Schools and Orange Shirt Day. It’s sad and appalling to know someone believes separating families and removing children from their homes was not only a good idea, but it became an authorized practice.

    I was watching a nature show last week that listed the threats to humans from the animal world but honestly, I don’t believe any of them to be any worse than other humans.

    Thanks for posting this, Jennifer. I will share. 🙂

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    1. Other humans are our worst predator, absolutely. Thank you for commenting and sharing with me your feelings on this issue. And thanks for tweeting the article, I really appreciate it. Every share increases awareness and helps with reconciliation. xx

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  11. This is a stain on the history of North America, such unmeasurable cruelty. How could people have thought this was OK. Something similar happened in Australia as well. Although this can never be made right, orange shirt day is a start in understanding. Thanks for posting this.

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    1. A stain that many are unaware of or are indifferent to. We may think Canada is superior to other countries but we have nothing to be proud of in this regard. All in the name of assimilation—to kill the Indian in the child. Thanks for commenting, Darlene! xx

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    1. You’re welcome, Val. My heart breaks as I navigate through the course. How the government and the church community thought the residential schools were a good idea I cannot fathom. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. ❤️

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