09/30/2024
*Every Child Matters: Honoring the Story of Orange Shirt Day*
Today and every day, we acknowledge the resilience and strength of Indigenous communities and affirm that Every Child Matters.
In Canada, September 30th marks Orange Shirt Day, a national day of remembrance and reconciliation. This day honors the survivors of residential schools, their families, and the children who never returned home.
The story of Orange Shirt Day begins with Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwepemc leader from British Columbia. At just six years old, Phyllis was forcibly taken from her family and sent to St. Joseph's Mission Residential School. Upon arrival, her shiny new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken away, symbolizing the stripping of her identity, culture, and childhood.
Phyllis's story represents the experiences of thousands of Indigenous children forced into residential schools, subjected to physical, emotional, and psychological abuse, and denied their right to family, culture, and childhood.
Orange Shirt Day reminds us of:
- The 150,000+ Indigenous children taken from their families.
- The 4,000+ children who died in residential schools.
- The intergenerational trauma still felt today.
Let's work together towards reconciliation by:
- Listening to Indigenous voices and stories.
- Educating ourselves on Canadian history.
- Supporting Indigenous-led initiatives.
Wear orange today in solidarity. Say the names of the children who never returned. Honor the survivors and their families.
*Every Child Matters*.