Four things you can do on Orange Shirt Day

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Every child matters 2020

Orange Shirt Day is a national movement that brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the spirit of reconciliation to honour residential school survivors and their families.


The residential school system was a collaboration between the Government of Canada and mainstream churches to remove Indigenous children from their communities, and from their families and culture.


September 30 was chosen because it’s the time of year when children were taken from their homes to residential schools. 


Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for us to recognize the intergenerational trauma resulting from residential schools, and come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come. 


What can you do with the children in your life for Orange Shirt Day? 

1.    Wear an orange shirt on September 30

Raise awareness and start a conversation about your orange shirt by talking about the history of residential schools and reconciliation. 


2.    Watch a virtual event online with the children in your life

This is a virtual event open to all Canadian schools for youth grades 5 - 12 to Honour Residential School Survivors, their families and communities. https://education.nctr.ca/  


3.    Share Phyllis Webstad’s Orange Shirt Day presentation

Orange Shirt Day is based on Webstad’s story of having her orange shirt removed and replaced with a school uniform. You can watch Phyllis’ presentation on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3vUqr01kAk&feature=emb_title

4.    Read Phyllis's story "The Orange Shirt Story"

Her story is also available online to read with your family or children in your life. https://www.orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story.html


The Orange Shirt Society was formed in Williams Lake by the founders of Orange Shirt Day to encourage and support communities to recognize Orange Shirt Day and to support reconciliation events and activities.