The orange shirt, proudly worn by a six-year-old indigenous girl named Phyllis, was stripped from her on her first day of residential school. In 2013, her story led to the establishment of September 30 as the day to honour residential school survivors at Williams Lake, known as Orange Shirt Day. It is now commemorated across Canada.
Funded by the federal government and run by Christian churches, the residential schools’ purpose was to remove Indigenous children from their culture, strip away their language and ceremonies, and assimilate them into Canadian social systems. Attendance was mandatory from 1884-1948 and was enforced by the RCMP. Churches, governments, and police have apologized for their role in the residential school system. There is much more to be learned and accomplished, by all of us.
Wear an orange shirt on September 30 to honour residential school survivors. Familiarize yourself with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action and guard against history repeating itself. Ask yourself what truth and reconciliation means and what your role is in affecting change.
Ruby Langan, UNE National Equity Representative for Aboriginal Peoples