Orange Shirt Day - September 30
9/17/2020 8:38:00 AM - Ziibiwing Cultural Center

Boozhoo,

In an effort to raise more awareness about the American Indian boarding school era, we acknowledge the movement in Canada to observe every September 30 as Orange Shirt Day.

Orange Shirt Day began in William’s Lake, British Columbia in 2013 through the work of a residential school survivor named Phyllis Webstad. When Phyllis was taken to a residential school as a six-year-old, she brought with her an orange shirt that her grandmother had gifted her. That orange shirt was taken away from Phyllis when she arrived at the residential school.

Orange Shirt Day encourages Canadians to work together towards reconciliation and to hear the truth telling that comes from the survivors sharing their stories. September 30 was chosen as the symbolic date that represents when Indigenous children were sent to residential school.

Let’s wear an Orange Shirt on September 30 and talk about the boarding/residential school era, remember a relative who was sent to one of the schools, learn more about how both the Canadian and US governments tried to eradicate our beautiful cultures and languages, and celebrate a collective Indigenous determination to maintain our heritage.