Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division
Orange Shirt Day
Each year, at the request of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association, the Saskatchewan Government has proclaimed September 30 as Orange Shirt Day. September 30 has also been proclaimed federally as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Orange Shirt Day began in Williams Lake, British Columbia in 2013. A commemoration event was held at a local residential school where those gathered learned about a young student, Phyllis Webstad, who had her brand-new orange shirt taken away on her first day at the residential school. The orange shirt has become a symbol of the many losses experienced by thousands of students and families as a result of attending residential schools. Since it began in 2013, the phrase “Every Child Matters” has been used as part of the movement to recognize the value of every child and for communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for future generations. Learn more at www.orangeshirtday.org.
Wearing an orange shirt and considering the heartbreaking confirmations of unmarked graves this year, this day represents an opportunity to reflect about residential schools and expand our understanding of this devastating history, an opportunity to learn the truth as we journey together towards reconciliation.
SRPSD school staff have planned opportunities for commemoration of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with their students and many schools have plans in place to honour this day with school-wide initiatives. Some schools are also connecting families and communities to their event virtually or in other ways.
SRPSD encourages you to wear an orange shirt on this September 30th, but we all must go beyond the wearing of the shirt. We all must take the initiative to learn the truth about residential schools, reflect on how this truth continues to impact our community, and prioritize genuine acts of reconciliation that will strengthen our community for future generations. This learning will continue beyond September 30th in SRPSD classrooms as teachers focus on embedding Indigenous ways of knowing and traditional Indigenous teachings in their practice.