Orange Shirt Day highlights the impact of Residential Schools on Survivors, Intergenerational Survivors and those who did not survive, as an act of Reconciliation. Orange Shirt Day honors the legacy of the 2013 St. Joseph Mission Residential School commemoration event, held in Williams Lake, B.C. It grew out of a former student’s account of having her brand-new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school.
Wearing an Orange Shirt is meant to recognize the harm done to Residential School students, and show a commitment to the principle that every child matters.
The official Orange Shirt Day date is September 30th. A date in September was chosen because it is the time of year when children were taken from their homes to Residential Schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for policies and resources that support diversity for the coming school year.
Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools, and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.
For more information on Orange Shirt Day, go to http://www.orangeshirtday.org/