Before there was a National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, there was Orange Shirt Day.

Orange Shirt Day is an event and a movement. The event is held every year on September 30th to commemorate the bitter legacy of the residential school system and its effect on more than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Metis children and their families.

On Orange Shirt Day, people are encouraged to wear orange to show their solidarity with residential school survivors and honour the memory of those who did not make it home. It is a day for listening to their experiences and learning about the long-lasting effects of the forced assimilation they endured. It’s also a call to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation.

How did Orange Shirt Day start?

Orange Shirt Day originated from British Columbia in 2013. In May of that year, Chief Fred Robbins organized the St. Joseph Mission Residential School Commemoration Project and Reunion event in Williams Lake, BC. This was a gathering of former students and their families to witness and honour their healing journey.

In this event, Phyllis Webstad told the story of her first day at St Joseph’s Mission residential school. She relates that she was six years old at that time, and excited about the first day of school. She was wearing an orange shirt which was special to her as it was gifted by her grandmother. Upon arriving, school personnel stripped off her clothes, including her orange shirt, and took them away. “I never wore it again. I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t give it back to me, it was mine!” Phyllis said. From then on, the colour orange reminded Phyllis of how she was made to feel like she didn’t matter.

This poignant story sparked the movement. Organizers decided to honour the orange shirt as a symbol of the effects of residential schools. It also inspired the slogan “Every Child Matters.” Originally, Orange Shirt Day was only known in the BC area, but the movement grew on a global scale, thanks to social media.

“When you wear an orange shirt it’s like a little bit of justice for us survivors in our lifetime, a recognition of a system we can never allow again.”

Phyllis Webstad – On Orange Shirt Day, Orange Shirt Society

How is Orange Shirt Day celebrated?

Aside from wearing orange shirts, many activities are held to commemorate the event.

Parades and marches are held in various areas. Schools hold activities to help students understand the significance of this point in Canadian history and instill the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect. Everyone is urged to learn about the residential school system and engage in meaningful conversations about its history and far-reaching effects. By learning about this “cultural genocide,” we can empathize with the Indigenous Peoples and commit to helping healing to begin.

Is Orange Shirt Day the same as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation?

They are not the same event, but they are related. Orange Shirt Day actually led to the declaration of the federal holiday.

A few years ago, the Orange Shirt Day movement was gaining popularity, but it gained further steam when unmarked graves were discovered on former residential school sites. In May 2021, the remains of more than 200 Indigenous children in Kamloops, BC were uncovered. In June 2021, the Government of Canada passed Bill C-5 to make September 30 a federal holiday called National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. In November 2023, Premier Wab Kinew declared it a provincial statutory holiday in Manitoba as well. This is the first year that we are celebrating the event as a provincial holiday.

How will you celebrate Orange Shirt Day/National Day for Truth and Reconciliation?
 
Sources: Orange Shirt Day, John Boyko, Canadian Encyclopedia; Phyllis’ Story, Phyllis Webstad, Orange Shirt Day Society; and Understanding the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Government of Canada. Accessed August 6, 2024.