September 30th is Orange Shirt Day, a significant occasion that honors the strength of Indigenous children who were forced to attend residential schools. This day serves as a reminder of our commitment to reconciliation and our responsibility to combat racism, hate, and discrimination.
The date marks the time when Indigenous children were taken from their families to residential schools. The term “orange shirt” refers to the new shirt Phyllis Webstad received from her grandmother for her first day at St. Joseph’s Mission residential school in British Columbia. Upon her arrival, her clothes, including the orange shirt, were taken from her and never returned. The color orange has since symbolized Phyllis’s painful experiences, reflecting her feelings of worthlessness and the indifference shown to the children who cried for help.
We thank the SJN community of staff and students for standing together and affirming that Every Child Matters.