As Orange Shirt Day approaches, SC’IȺNEW̱ community members are invited to connect with the community through one of the many events taking place in the spirit of honouring, remembrance, and reconciliation.
Orange Shirt Day – also commonly known as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – takes place each year on September 30th as an opportunity to honour those impacted by residential schools – including the survivors and their families. Orange Shirt Day also provides an opportunity to celebrate First Nations culture and resilience while reminding us that there is still much work to be done for meaningful reconciliation.
On September 30th, orange shirts are worn to show solidarity with those who suffered the impacts of the residential school system. The use of orange shirts is a reference to the story of Phyllis Webstad, a survivor of the residential school system and Founder of the Orange Shirt Society. Phyllis – who attended residential school as a six-year-old in 1973 – explains that her grandmother bought her a new, orange shirt to get her ready for the first day of school. But when she got to the school, they stripped her and took her new orange shirt. Since then, the orange shirt has become a powerful symbol of all that was taken from residential school survivors. It represents more than clothing – it is our culture, our language, our families and joy.
In 2021, September 30th became a federal holiday in direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. These Calls to Action are a list of 94 steps for governments, organizations, and individuals to take to address the harmful history of the residential school system. This year marks ten years since the release of the Calls
to Action, providing a meaningful opportunity to reflect on what steps have been taken towards reconciliation and the many that remain.
There are many ways to get involved for Orange Shirt Say this year. We’re pleased to share that several events are taking place in the community, including:
- Film Screening: Indian Horse – September 25th, 6PM at Isabelle Reaser Theatre
- Film Screening: Indian Horse – September 29th, 6PM at Sooke Community Theatre
- Survivors Exhibit and Presentation – September 30th, 10AM at Sooke Regional Museum
- Community Walk and Gathering – September 30th, 12PM at John Phillips Memorial Park
- The South Island Powwow – September 30th, 10AM at Royal Athletic Park
SC’IȺNEW̱ looks forward to coming together with the community to honour survivors, celebrate resilience, and to renew our commitment to a future of teamwork, unity, fairness and equity for all our members. We hope you will join us in building a stronger future, together!
To stay up to date on news about the Orange Shirt Day and other important SC’IȺNEW̱ news and events, be sure to sign up for the SC’IȺNEW̱ newsletter.