On September 30th students and staff of School District 60 honoured the children and families that were affected by residential schools. This day has been designated as Orange Shirt Day as it was historically the month that children were removed from their homes and forced to attend residential schools. In most cases, the children would not be able to return to their communities until June, and in some instances, several years.
Last year, the Orange Shirt Day was initiated in Williams Lake after the elder, Phyllis Webstad , told her story in which her granny had bought her a “shiny orange shirt” for the first day of Mission school. She was stripped of her new outfit and given a uniform. The confused 6 year old did not understand why they would not give her back her shirt. She is reminded of how her feelings weren’t considered and her sense of worthlessness that she felt whenever she sees the colour orange, so much so, that she has stated, “I want my orange shirt back”, 90 years later.
By wearing an orange shirt on September 30th will remind us to always remember that EVERY CHILD MATTERS, regardless of race, religion, class, or age. Every child deserves the right to feel loved and supported in a healthy learning environment. Assembly of First Nations (AFN) has made a proposal to the Canadian government to designate September 30th as Orange Shirt Day.