The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, is a Canadian national holiday to recognize the harmful legacy of the Canadian residential school system. The following article will outline five facts every Canadian resident should know about Orange Shirt Day.
What is the Meaning of Orange Shirt Day?
The holiday is observed every year on September 30th to honour the experiences of Indigenous children who were taken from their homes and forced to attend residential schools. This day acknowledges the trauma that Indigenous communities have endured and serves as a day of reflection, education, healing, and reconciliation. September 30th was chosen because it falls within the time of year when Indigenous children were historically taken from their families and sent to residential schools.
What is the History of Orange Shirt Day?
Orange Shirt Day started as a grassroots campaign with Phyllis Webstad in 2013. Phylis is a Northern Secwepemc (Shuswap) woman from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation in British Columbia. Like all Indigenous children in her community, she was sent to a residential school at the age of six. Once she arrived at the school, she was stripped of many personal belongings, including a new orange shirt her grandmother had bought her. Instead, she was forced to wear the school’s uniform and never got her shirt back. For Phyllis, losing her shirt symbolized how the residential school system stripped Indigenous children of their identity, culture, and sense of belonging, leaving many traumatized for generations to come. When she first shared her story in 2013, it led to the creation of Orange Shirt Day so these painful experiences and injustices would never be forgotten. In 2021, the Canadian Government declared Orange Shirt Day a federal statutory holiday, with varying significance across provinces and territories.
The Residential School System
Residential schools were established by the Canadian Government, with the first school being opened in 1831. These government-funded and church-operated boarding schools had the goal of assimilating Indigenous children while they were young and impressionable into Euro-Canadian society. Approximately 150,000 Indigenous children were affected. Once placed in these institutions, children were neither allowed to speak their native language nor practice any of their cultural traditions. Today, residential schools are well-known for their widespread physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Indigenous children were also often neglected, malnourished and struggled with inadequate living conditions. It is currently estimated that approximately 6000 Indigenous children died while attending these boarding schools. The last residential school closed as recently as 1983. In 2021, hundreds of unmarked graves were found at residential schools across Canada, emphasizing the continued need for Truth and Reconciliation. Today, Indigenous communities continue to be negatively affected by the legacy of residential schools. Many suffer from intergenerational trauma, loss of language and culture, and ongoing challenges with mental health, substance abuse, and socio-economic disparities.
Truth and Reconciliation
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was active from 2008 to 2015 and responsible for investigating the history, injustices and lasting impacts of the Canadian residential school system. Its work provided residential school survivors with the opportunity to share their stories and revealed this dark episode of the country’s history to the wider non-Indigenous population. In 2015, the commission concluded its work with an executive summary of its findings, including 94 calls to action. The commission also officially declared that the operators of the residential school system had pursued a cultural genocide. The 94 calls to action outline concrete steps toward reconciliation and demand improvements within the following categories:
- Child Welfare
- Education
- Language and Culture
- Health
- Justice
- Reconciliation CTA
How is Orange Shirt Day Observed?
For Indigenous as well as non-Indigenous people, wearing an orange shirt on September 30th is one of the key elements of the holiday. It is seen as a symbolic act of solidarity, a public acknowledgment of the harm caused, and a commitment to reconciliation and a better future. Additionally, Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity to participate in events, ceremonies and activities meant to raise awareness and foster understanding. Listening to the stories of survivors, engaging in meaningful conversations about Canada’s colonial history, and reflecting on the many things that still need to be achieved in the future are other crucial components of the holiday. Many non-Indigenous Canadians have long been unaware of the horrors residential schools inflicted on Indigenous children. On Orange Shirt Day, they can gain a deeper understanding of the injustices faced by Indigenous communities, engage with uncomfortable truths, reflect on their role in the reconciliation process, and work together to address ongoing challenges.
Conclusion-Orange Shirt Day
Orange Shirt Day serves as a valuable opportunity to acknowledge the painful history of residential schools and learn more about this dark period and the injustice inflicted upon Indigenous children and their families. While wearing an orange shirt on September 30th is a powerful act of solidarity, to truly create a society based on respect, inclusivity and justice for all, we need to continue learning, listening, and taking action throughout the year. Doing this will honour the survivors and ensure that their stories are never forgotten.
The post 5 Facts You Should Know about Orange Shirt Day appeared first on Ashton College.